Steps to Romance
by chocolatesundae
Summary: COMPLETED!; Mimi Tachikawa, poor girl turned rich heiress, enters a new life, a new world, and meets 3 handsome guys and one beautiful girl. Drama ensures and romantic encounters happen... GENRE : Romance/Drama. Michi, Sorato, Takari.
1. Chapter One

Chapters 1 -3 are just introductions, hence they're a little boring. Things get interesting after Chapter 4. For those who don't want to read Chapters 1-3, here's a summary of what happens in Chapter 1-3.

Summary of Chapters 1-3 : Mimi Tachikawa always had a dream of living in a castle/ a grand house. She has to work to pay for her school and tuition fees, and one day faints from heatstroke while working. Then, she comments that her family might be poor, however they're a happy family. Then, people sent by the head of the Takuya family, Emp., the richest man in Asia, come and tell Mimi that she is Emp.'s long lost granddaughter. She refuses to leave her family, however, in the end, she goes to the Takuya family mansion.

Based off a Taiwanese Drama, Romantic Princess.

Disclaimer : I do not own Digimon.

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"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance

**Mimi's POV**

_Every normal girl has certainly fantasized to awaken one day and suddenly be a wealthy man's daughter. Wouldn't it be good, to wake up at any time you want, that it's alright to drink tea in the afternoon, to chit-chat nonchalantly like a princess who just likes to live and enjoy life. _I twirled around in a beautiful white dress, in a grand house, with marble floors, huge staircases, and the works. _Certainly a princess who lives so happily has an equally important item which cannot be left out. And that is… a beautiful castle._

I grinned, staring at the paper model of a grand mansion that I had made, brought out of my reverie. _Sigh, but a fantasy is just that, fantasy, because it's very difficult to accomplish something like that in real life. Sleeping, on the other hand, is closer to reality._

Firstly, I, the princess will roll on the bed. I stood up, and leapt onto my bed, only for it to collapse beneath me. And then, I, the princess screamed, "Daddy, you did not fix the bed properly!"

-The next day-

I was riding my bicycle along the busy streets of Odaiba. Finally, I saw my friend, Yolei. Yolei is someone who you would call tomboyish. Her long violet hair was waist length, and she wore round spectacles that drew attention to her sparkling violet eyes.

"Meems, you're finally here! What took you so long?"

"The breakfast shop which at work at had a huge mouse scampering about. The boss said that if I caught it, I would get a bonus of 1,277 yen!"

"You, princess Mimi, of all people, caught a mouse? What is this world coming to?"

"Well, you do know that I need the money. Anyway, let's go! We're late!"

Apart from my day job, I had another job, passing out flyers. Even though it was a blistering hot day, I was wearing a bear costume. After all, doing so might get me a bonus of 639 yen! It might sound as if I'm money minded, but I'm not. It's just that my financial background wasn't so good, and I needed the money to pay for my tuition fees. I couldn't just let my parents worry about it alone. I had to do my part.

"Meems, are you sure you're alright? You might get heatstroke wearing that!"

"Well, you see, if I can get 639 yen in one day, in ten days I'll get 6390 yen, in a hundred days 63,900 yen, and in a year 230,040 yen! I mean, even though it's very expensive to pay rent or buy a house here, it doesn't hurt to try!"

Yolei had nothing to say about it. As our break dragged on, we felt a pair of eyes on us. We looked at a nearby building's balcony simultaneously. The manager was there, fanning himself, staring at us, and looking as though steam was coming out of his ears.

We, of course, took the most obvious course of action. We got back to work. And then suddenly, I felt dizzy, and I fell to the ground, the bear head of my costume falling out. The flyers slowly drifted down upon me, looking like money notes, as my vision blurred.

_Sometimes, really only sometimes, I wish to awaken and not need to worry about things like money. To not need to stand under the sun for just a few hundred yen, a small fortune gained from hardship. Of course, I'm only wishing for myself to wake up and suddenly become another person, something that only happens in fairytales._

"Mimi, Mimi!" I hear someone calling my name repeatedly. No, not someone. Two people. As I opened my eyes, my vision began to become clearer, and I saw my Mom and Dad gazing worriedly at me. "Mum, dad? What happened? All I remember was that I was giving out flyers."

"Mimi, you fainted from heatstroke. Somehow, Yolei managed to bring you back home." Dad said, looking closely at my face for my reaction.

"What? Doesn't that mean that all the hard work I did is gone? All my hard-earned money!"

"Well," my Mom started saying, as she held up a yen note, "Even though you didn't complete your work, the manager paid you for your effort! Now, Meems, don't worry about your tuition fees, Mommy and Daddy will figure out a way to pay them. If you continue to work so hard, from morning till afternoon without any rest, it could cause your body to break down. Just now when you were being carried in, we were almost frightened by you!"

"Actually, I'm working not only for my school fees, but for something else. And that's a secret."

"Mommy, look at our treasured daughter! She already has a secret that she isn't willing to tell me! I really can't believe it!" My dad exclaimed, as he pretended to cry.

"Daddy, I think your acting was too exaggerated. I felt that the heart wrenching coordination wasn't good done well."

"I was… that bad?"

"Well," my mom replied, "It was alright. Anyway, Meems, take a good nap, Mommy will wake you up when dinner is ready, okay?"

My parents left the room. _Well, as long as I can see my parents by my side when I wake up, I feel happy. Our family is the typical happy family, though we live in a small apartment. Still, it possesses all the necessities that we need. However, I still want to live in a bigger house._

As I looked to my right, I spotted a brochure. _The Takuya Empire. The name sounds… very noble. 3.5 feet is 328,000 yen, and the smallest is 350 feet! That means that you need 328,000,000 yen before you can buy a household! If I work hard now, I can probably earn about 55,000 yen, and that's only if I don't eat, and drink! That means that I can only get a household in about 500 years! That means that I'll have to start passing out flyers at around the end of the Muromachi period! Even if I can not eat and not drink, I can't possibly live for more than 500 years! However, this goal must be easier to get than an old castle. _

I looked down at the page. It showed a handsome, tan guy with bushy, brown hair. His eyes were a warm, chocolate brown shade, and his smile cheerful. _He's definitely the most handsome. There are no other words to describe him, just simply, handsome. _I looked at his name. _Taichi Yagami._

To his right, was another guy, with blond hair, styled and spiked, his eyes a cold ice blue, but his smile was simply brilliant. _Another handsome guy, though I still prefer Taichi Yagami. Hmm. Yamato Ishida._

Next to Yamato Ishida, was a guy who had the same blond hair and blue eyes. His eyes were warmer though, and his hair shaggy, his smile warm. _He's handsome, too. Is he Yamato Ishida's brother? His surname is Takaishi _(AN: Is this the correct spelling?) _ Takaishi._

Next to him, was a girl. Her brown hair only reached her chin, and her hair and eyes were the same shade as Tachi Yagami. Her smile was kind, gentle. _Hikari Yagami. They must be siblings. She's beautiful. Oh, what's that? That looks similar to the crest on my pendant! _On her neck was a necklace, and on it was a crest. It was shaped like a flower, with four large petals and four small petals surrounding the centre. The crest of Light. I had something similar, a necklace with a crest on it, shaped like a teardrop with two circles inscribed within. My parents told me that I had it since young, and I always wore it, or kept it somewhere near me. It was the crest of Sincerity. I had a birthmark, the shape of the crest of Sincerity. _Does this mean anything?_

Sigh, I shouldn't think so much about this. They're lucky though. Attractive and rich. However, it doesn't matter. Everyone has their own fate. With that, I went to take a nap.

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A/N: Well, that's the first chapter of Steps to Romance! I hope that those who have already read this part will find that it's improved. There are additional information added soon, and new chapters (I mean it, new chapters, that even those who read this story before I deleted it last time have not read it). So, please continue to support me! Review please, it helps me to post up chapters quickly (Suggestions, ideas, ways to improve help). 


	2. Chapter Two

Author's Note : Chapter 2! Note, this is the day after Chapter One.

Disclaimer : I do not own Digimon.

"Sincerity & Courage" - Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _- Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage - Narration by the character

* * *

Steps to Romance**Mimi's POV**

**I felt myself being shaken gently. As I opened my eyes, I saw my model castle falling off the table, and landing on the floor.**

_Is my dream going to be fulfilled? Or is it just… an earthquake. Sigh._

**

* * *

**

Mimi's father's POV

Outside my apartment was a long car, a limousine, and a lot of white motorcycles surrounding it. Men dressed in a black uniform and a red beret were preventing a lot of nosy people from taking a closer look at whatever was happening. "I live here, could you let me through?" I asked one of the men. I rushed up the stairs towards my apartment, and saw a guy with a weird hairstyle (Hair all flat except for bangs gelled to form a curly point on top of his head).

"May… May I ask who you are?"

"May I ask if you're Keisuke Tachikawa?"

"I am… and it's possible that I'm not too."

My wife came out, and looked shocked at the current situation, and said "Oh gosh, what's happened? Keisuke Tachikawa, what have you done?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa, I presume, do not worry. We're not bad people."

"Then… what kind of people are you?"

"I am Gennai (A/N : MUAHAHAHHAAHA!), Takuya Family's Head of Management."

"Takuya Family? The richest family in Asia? THAT family?"

"Yes, I am here on the behalf of Mr. Takuya to ask Mr. Tachikawa to return a very important treasure that belongs to Mr. Takuya."

"Err, Mr. Gennai," My wife started saying, "You really like to joke. How could our family have something that belongs to Mr. Takuya? Right, Keisuke?"

"Of course there's none! We're not a treasure stealing couple! Are you sure that you have got the right family?"

"Of course, we have done a throughout investigation. Mr. Takuya's most important treasure is in your family. And that is your daughter, Miss Mizuki Takuya."

**

* * *

**

Mimi's POV

"What, I'm Mr. Takuya's granddaughter? You mean, the person who's so rich that he can arrange money notes in a row that they can circle the Earth several times? Asia's richest family, the Takuya Family? Oh, and also that 3.5 feet for 328,000 yen, that only if I don't eat and don't drink for about 500 years, then I can reluctantly buy a Takuya Family bathroom?" I said exaggeratedly, "Sigh, I can't believe it! I, unexpectedly, am the granddaughter of Mr. Takuya? How can this be?"

My parents just started sobbing louder. "Mommy, Daddy, your acting skills have improved. My acting skills have to improve too. Well, how was it, where's the camera? My exaggeration skills have improved, no?" They were still pretending to sob, so I just shrugged and ate my breakfast. I still had to work, after all.

"Mimi," my dad started saying "Mommy and Daddy aren't lying to you. It's the truth."

"This news has come too suddenly. I… I, I have to work. While I'm at work, I'll ponder about the meaning of life's difficult experiences." My mom just sobbed louder. "You'll always be my Mommy and Daddy." I said, as I went to give them a hug.

"Mimi," my mom started saying "If you don't believe us, look outside the window."

I looked outside the window. There was a long limousine, a lot of white motorcycles, a lot of men wearing a black uniform and a red beret, and a guy dressed in a business suit with a strange hairstyle who said "Hello, Miss Takuya!"

I ran back to the living room, shaken and sobbing.

"Mommy and Daddy have not lied to you. Those men are from the Takuya Family, sent to meet you in person."

"Mommy, Daddy, you really must learn how to stop joking! I was raised by you!"

"What Daddy has said is true. You're indeed Mr. Takuya's granddaughter, missing for 17 years (A/N : Mimi is around 18 years old in this story). Your real name is Mizuki Takuya."

"Mimi, listen to Daddy and Mommy. What we have said is true. We used money to buy you."

"Yes, because we couldn't give birth to a child, Daddy and I originally went to an orphanage to adopt a child. However, because of our financial background, we did not fit the criteria for adopting a child. We couldn't even adopt a child. Daddy, seeing that I wanted a child so badly, so he did every possible thing he could, asking relations, going to many different places to find a child trafficker."

"The child trafficker said that you were born by an unwed mother who abandoned you on the roadside. So we did not think of helping you to find your birth parents. We did not think that you were Mr. Takuya's remaining relative, so we secretly held on to you. Very well, the Takuya Family has found you. You can also return to your grandparent. You don't have to go through hard times with us anymore. You don't have to work so hard anymore."

"Head Manager Gennai is waiting for you. Mommy will help you to pack."

"Why must I pack up my things?"

"Head Manager Gennai has to bring you back to the Takuya family by today."

"I don't want to go!" I shouted, angered.

"Mimi, Daddy knows that you haven't had enough time to accept this fact, but they are the Takuya Family, and this is not a joke."

"This is not a joke? This is a joke! How do you want me to accept it? How? All these years I have been calling you Mommy and Daddy, and now you're not my parents? I'm not even myself, and instead, this Mizuki Takuya person is me! Who is she? I don't know her! I only know Mimi Tachikawa! I only know me, Mommy, and Daddy! Why? I originally thought that I have everything, a loving family, and now I have nothing. Everything was a lie, everything was false!" There was a knock on the door.

"And now you want me to go with that stranger? Don't you want me anymore? Don't you want me anymore?"

"How can we not want you? How can we possibly give you up?"

**

* * *

**

Gennai's POV

My phone rang. I answered the phone. "Yes, Miss Takuya is a little agitated now, but rest assure, I'll bring her back within an hour."

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A/N : And there you go, Chapter 2 of Steps to Romance! I think we're nearing the part with new content! (:  
Review please, it helps.


	3. Chapter Three

Author's Note : Chapter 3! Thank you so much to Evil-Chibi-Tiffy for reviewing, and story alerting! I LOVE INUYASHA AND KAGOME TOO!(:

Disclaimer : I do not own Digimon.

List of character's ages:  
Mimi Tachikawa/ Meems/ Mizuki Takuya – 18 years old  
Tachi Yagami / Tai – 19 years old  
Sora Takenouchi (Is this the correct spelling?) – 19 years old  
Yamato Ishida/ Matt – 19 years old  
Hikari Yagami/ Kari – 17 years old  
Takeru Takaishi /T.K. – 17 years old  
Miyako Inoue – 17 years old

"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage_ – Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance

**Mimi's POV**

"Has Miss Takuya packed her things yet?" I heard a disembodied voice saying that. It came from the living room. I rushed to the living room, and realised that it was that Head Manager Gennai my parents were talking about.

"I won't go with you." I could literally feel the shock in the atmosphere of the room.

"May I ask why Miss Takuya does not want to go with me?"

"I don't want to change my present life. I don't want to go to a completely strange place."

"Oh, so what Miss Takuya fears is change."

"I'm not afraid. I…" Everyone was looking at me. "I just think that it's strange."

"So Miss Takuya isn't at all curious as to how her real family members are like? Her own family members who have been separated from her for so long? Could Miss Takuya be not at all curious about the Takuya Family whom she has been separated from?"

"I…" _Sigh, he got me._

"Actually, Mr. Takuya has been continuously enquiring about Miss Takuya's whereabouts. He misses you very, very, very much. You wouldn't want a lonely old man to be disappointed, do you?"

"May I bring my parents then?"

He gave a short chuckle before answering, "Not possible. It's because their adoption of you is illegal. Mr. Takuya cares a lot about this matter."

"They're not to blame! Why can't you let them?" He gave a slight nod. "You weren't listening to me! Why can't you just let them?"

"Then let me ask Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa. Do you think that you're suited to go with Miss Takuya?"

My dad stood up. "Meems, go with Head Manager Gennai. Return to see Mr. Takuya. If you want to come back, you can come back at any time. No matter what, we'll always be your Mommy and Daddy." I looked at my mom. She nodded. "We'll always be here, waiting for you to come back."

I looked around. Head Manager Gennai looked very proud of himself, and was grinning like a Cheshire cat. My parents smiled at me encouragingly.

I headed out of my house towards the long, black limousine. I looked back at my parents, trying to be brave for them.

The limousine drove off, motorcycles infront and behind it. I sat inside, thinking. _Sigh, looks like suddenly turning into a rich lady wasn't as happy as I imagined. Unfamiliar life. Unfamiliar environment. Unfamiliar people. Maybe I'm just dreaming! _And I pinched myself.

"Ouch, it hurts!"

"Miss Takuya, do you want me to pinch you to help you assure that this is not a dream?"

"No need." _Sigh, even though that pinch really hurt, I still don't feel any real emotions. It still seems like a dream. The great person that I always read about in the newspapers has suddenly become my grandfather. How is this real? _I decided not to think about it anymore, but instead started thinking about annoying Head Managers and what they should do instead. Well, until one of these said Head Managers started talking again.

"Miss Takuya, may I ask if there is anything you would like to know about Mr. Takuya?"

_Hmm. That thought had never occurred to me. _"Err, I would like to know if Mr. Takuya, no, I mean, my grandfather, well, what kind of person is he?"

"Emp is an extremely unique person."

"Emp?"

"Emp is the polite way in which we address Mr. Takuya. Emp is the English abbreviation of Emperor."

"He must be a very overbearing person then."

"Emp is a person in which thinks that as long as he thinks he's right, he will not hesitate to do anything to get something. He does not fear any difficulties. Even if he is advised against it, he will certainly go and achieve it."

_Isn't that what you call 'stubborn'? His English name is an abbreviation of Emperor, and he's stubborn too. This grandfather seems a little frightening. _"Then… do I have any siblings?"

"Miss Takuya is Emp's only grandchild."

"Then who are those four people on that Takuya Family advertisement?"

"Oh, you're referring to Takuya Family's Four Gems."

"Why are they called the Takuya Family's Four Gems?"

"Oh, that's because they are related to the Takuya Family, and as Miss Takuya's whereabouts were unclear before, Emp chose from the Takuya Family's relations two pairs of siblings to train in hopes that they will be successful and can be a heir to the Takuya Family."

**Taichi's POV**

We were riding along the coastline until we finally stopped for a break. I got out of the car, and so did Yamato.

"Today's weather is good. Seems like some people don't think so."

"You're a little nuisance, you know that?" I replied.

Yamato said with a smirk. "Looks like you've already heard."

"Heard about what?" T.K. asked.

"Emp has already found Mizuki Takuya. I wonder how she's like." Hikari replied cheerfully.

"Really? Wasn't she missing for 17 years?" T.K. cheerfully said.

Yamato continued smirking, and said "Head Manager Gennai has already been dispatched by Emp to get her."

"Really? Head Manager Gennai went to get her personally? Doesn't that mean that everything's already decided?" T.K., now being annoyingly cheerful and nosy asked.

"That's right!" Yamato's face was inches from mine. "Looks like this Takuya Family successor isn't worried about his inheritance."

"He must be worried about the whole Emp and his granddaughter thing." Hikari replied. "Are you worried about her being a fake, big brother?"

"I just hope that she's a fake."

**Mimi's POV**

I gasped as the limousine passed through huge gates bearing a gold crest (two lions surrounding a shield bearing the Takuya Family name).

_I suddenly have the feeling of being engulfed._

**Mr. Takuya's POV**

"Look here at the camera, look at the camera. Come little baby, look at the camera." I heard and saw myself cooing at a baby in a video. Mizuki.

**Mimi's POV**

"Wow." I exclaimed as I got out of the limousine. It was huge. There was a long red carpet infront of me, and standing at the side of it were those men and now, some women dressed in black uniforms and a red beret, greeting me.

"Wow, Head Manager Gennai, your house is huge!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Takuya. This is your house."

"What?"

A/N: Do you think that some of the characters are too out of character? It might be too early to tell though. New chapter next! Review, please! It motivates me and helps me in writing faster! Suggestions, tips, for example, too please! Thank you. 


	4. Chapter Four

Author's Note : Chapter 4 is here! Anyway, I'll be concentrating on my other story, Home Again, also a Michi, for awhile, since I finally figured out what direction I want the story to go, and the ending. So, those who enjoyed reading Steps to Romance, I recommend you to read Home Again, too! MICHI! :D

Disclaimer : I do not own Digimon.

"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage_ – Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance

**

* * *

**

Emp' POV

"Emp, Miss Takuya is here."

I just nodded.

**

* * *

**

Mimi's POV

We entered the house. The grand foyer was just amazing. Grand staircases, marble floors, more men and women in that black uniform and red beret bowing down, it was just like a castle! As we moved forwards, I saw a portrait of a woman and a man.

_Who is she? Why does she look like me?_"Miss Takuya, this way please."

As we walked through a wide corridor, I saw a man wearing a white tuxedo walking towards us. I rubbed my eyes to get a clearer view. _Is that Taichi Yagami? And what's with that cocky smile?_  
He stopped in front of me, looking at me.

"Master Yagami, how are you?"

"Head Manager Gennai, morning."

For some reason, I had a sheepish smile on my face. I waited for him to greet me. He just stared at me, and his eyes seemed… furious. "Oh, I'm Mimi Tachikawa. Erm, you can call me Meems too. I'm the… well, I'm not sure yet. However, I think you have heard about it."

He inched closer to me. I pressed myself against the wall to get more space. His face was just inches away from mine when he said, "She looks a lot like Mdm. Takuya. Are you certain it's her?"

"Yes, Master Yagami."

"What evidence do you have?"

_Now, that just made me angry. _"Hey, what's with your attitude? I obviously am, why else would you guys call me here?"

"Master Yagami, it'll only be confirmed after Emp sees her."

He smirked as he said, "So there's a possibility that she's a fake."

"Master Yagami, if you're done, I have to take her to see Emp."

"Okay. It's also better to determine earlier that she's a fake." And with that, he walked off, and forcefully brushed his arm against mine.

"Hey, what's the meaning of this? Who's a fake? It's you guys who told me to come!"

He just tilted his head to the side so that I could see his face. And then he gave that cocky smile of his. I gasped, outrage. I was just about to throw something at him before Head Manager Gennai restrained me.

"Miss Takuya, please do not take offence. Come on, Emp still wants to see you." We approached a huge, grand room, and Head Manager Gennai went in, leaving me to wonder if I should go in or not. I heard Head Manager Gennai's disembodied voice telling Emp that I had arrived.

He was a bald old man in his sixties. As he turned around, his eyes grew wide with shock, and it slowly turned into a look of joy. He smiled.

"Gennai, her resemblance to Yuriko is remarkable! Mizuki, grandpa has finally found you!"

"Maybe you should check again. I might not be this Mizuki you're looking for."

"No, I know you are. Before I even saw you I was 90% certain. Now I'm 100% certain that you're my granddaughter, Mizuki!"

"I…" I really didn't know what to say.

"You must be very hungry. Gennai went to fetch you early in the morning."

"I…"

"Grandpa and everyone else have waited so long for this day! Gennai, prepare breakfast!"

**

* * *

**

Taichi's POV

She was beautiful. Her long, silky brown hair tied up in a high ponytail. Her petite yet curvaceous figure clad in a simple striped polo shirt and jeans. Her creamy white skin. Her beautiful hazel eyes. It seemed as if when I looked into them, they were stripping me, stripping me bare of all masquerades, like they knew who I was before I even met their owner. She was gorgeous.

_I can't start liking her. Come on Taichi, you can't. You just can't. Make her hate you._We were in a massive, grand dining room. There were violinists, a chandelier hanging overhead, and a long table, in which I sat on one end, and Emp, I mean, grandpa, sat on the other far end. I stared in shock at the candles on the table. _This is breakfast?_"Mizuki, eat whatever you want to eat. Don't be shy."

* * *

Mimi's POV

Well, atleast that's what I think my grandpa said. It was hard to hear him because of how far we were sitting apart. "Huh? I can't hear you!" I shouted.

Head Manager Gennai started shouting, slowly pronouncing and emphasizing each word, "Emp said Miss Takuya, whatever you want to eat, eat. Could you hear that?"

"Is it the norm to shout to get messages to others while eating here?"

"Yes, Miss Takuya."

_This can't do. Meals can't be eaten like this. This isn't breakfast. Breakfast should be eaten together. _Determined, I began dragging my chair towards grandpa. I kept feeling like I was knocking things over though. Suddenly, I couldn't move at all. I looked down. A maid was holding on to my leg. Beside her, in a neat column, was the other staff lying on the floor in pain. _Oh no! I must have accidentally cause them to trip over my chair._

"Miss Takuya, just ask the staff for whatever you want done. Do you want to sit by Emp's side?"  
I nodded, embarrassed. Finally, I got to sit next to grandpa. "This is better, grandpa. There's no need to shout at each other during meals." I hesitated. "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course you may."

"How are you sure that I'm your granddaughter?"

He grinned. "Gennai."

Head Manager Gennai clapped his hands. A white board was rolled in. There was a baby photo on it. Head Manager Gennai then started explaining. "This is Miss Takuya's one year old photo. We can see the that the left side of her buttocks, a litter downward in the centre, about ten centimeters apart, (around the top of the thigh) is a birthmark the shape of the crest of Sincerity."

"Then how do you know that I have it too?"

He then flipped a piece of paper that was clipped to the white board over. It showed me in a camisole and shorts. "Very obviously, this is you. And then this is the buttocks. Left side. Birthmark."

I felt violated. "How can you take photos like that? It's illegal!"

"17 years ago," my grandpa started saying, "Our family's enemies managed to kidnap you. Afterwards, he was afraid, so he abandoned you by the roadside. All these years, grandpa has searched high and low for you. After all those years, even I almost gave up hope."

"Then, how did you know where to find me?"

"An old family friend recently came over. He said that he saw a girl who looked a lot like Yuriko," I remembered the portrait I had seen, "And then I immediately sent someone to investigate. And I finally found you!"

"Then where are them, my… parents? Are they not at home?" Head Manager Gennai immediately signaled to the staff to leave, and he also left.

"They're dead."

"Dead?"

* * *

A/N : That's all! Well, don't judge Taichi. He has his reasons. Well, I've decided that I'll concentrate on Steps to Romance till I reach the part in which Taichi 'sexually harasses" Mimi. Then I'll concentrate on Home Again. Anyway, please continue reading and reviewing, for example, suggestions for this story/ Home Again, or if you think the characters are in character or out of character. Thank you! (:


	5. Chapter Five

Author's Note : Chapter 5!

Disclaimer : I do not own Digimon.

"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage_ – Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance

**

* * *

**

Mimi's POV

"17 years ago, your parents received news that there was a little girl in the South who might be you. They promptly drove off. They died in a car accident. I was devastated."

_I never thought that my birth parents would die in a car accident in order to try and find me._"Luckily, I finally found you. Pitiful child. You've suffered all these years. You were illegally adopted by a couple, right? They treated you well, right?"

"Of course! They treated me very well. Even though they're poor, they treated me very well."

"Anyone who can buy a child illegally, well to me, their moral character is in question. It doesn't matter what you say, grandpa is not a person to argue with. "

"I have not even acknowledged that you are my grandfather."

"It seems as if they really have treated you well. I won't look into their legal responsibilities then."

"Legal responsibilities?"

"Buying a child is illegal."

"If they didn't adopt me, I could be dead, or the child trafficker could have sold me to somewhere further away."

"You have a point."

"That's right! So you have to treat them well. Thank them nicely."

"I will give them a reasonable 'Thank you'. Our house is a little big, so I got Gennai to prepare a GPS unit for you. You can freely move around the house then."

"I don't plan to stay here."

"Why? Don't tell me that you prefer that shabby old apartment."

"I find that it just fine."

"How is that so? It's small, and it's damaged. According to my sources, you have to work just to pay for your schooling, tuition fees, and the rest to be given to Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa. You only have 1,286 yen to spend per month. Don't tell me that you like that impoverished life."

"Yes, my family might be ordinary, and maybe, in others' eyes, we are very poor, very pitiful, but money does not concern me. Looks like your thoughts and my thoughts are very different. Thank you, but I'm leaving. Bye bye."

"Wait a minute… Wait a minute. Perhaps what grandpa said was wrong, but grandpa apologizes. At least stay for the night."

I walked away, outraged. "Gennai!"

Head Manager Gennai and some men surrounded me. "Miss Takuya, please stay behind."

"Fine. I'll stay behind."

"Ahh, Mizuki is indeed a good girl."

"Oh, and please stop calling me Mizuki. That name is very weird."

"Then what should I call you?"

"Call me Mimi or Meems."

"Happy to comply, Mizuki."

"It's Mimi."

"Mimi."

* * *

**Taichi's POV**Yamato was about to hit the ball with his golf stick (A/N: whatever it's called) when his phone rang. He answered it, then hung up. "Joseph says his newly bought yacht has been delivered. We can become fishermen now. Anyway, he asked if we wanted to set sail and enjoy the ocean wind."

"Okay!" Kari replied.

"I have no objections." T.K. said, getting his fishermen's hat out of his pocket.

"Tai, what about you?" Yamato asked.

I was about to reply when my phone rang. "Mm, Emp. Alright. Okay."

"Looks like someone isn't able to go. That call must have had something to do with the little princess." Yamato said sympathetically.

"Sigh. I still can't believe that she's really Mizuki Takuya." I said.

"Well, I went to secretly see her just now," T.K. started saying, which gained him a smack from Kari, "She looks a lot like Mdm. Takuya though."

"Well," I replied, "There are a lot of people who look similar in this world."

"Please," Yamato said, "Your radical thoughts are just there to reject her. I thought that Emp could have been wrong, his investigation could also have been wrong."

I left, wringing my golfing gloves in my hands.

**

* * *

**

Mimi's POV

A maid led me to my room. "Miss Takuya, this is your room. Just call for us whenever you need something."

I nodded, and she left. I walked into the room, looking around. Chandelier, huge bed, plush carpets… It was so grand! _Wow, this room is too… extravagant. It's massive!_ I dialed my dad's number. "Hello, daddy, it's Mimi. They insist that I have to stay for one night. So I'm staying here tonight."

I walked into the dressing room. It was humongous, filled with hundreds of clothes, and accessories. I LOVED it, of course. I've always had an interest in fashion. I helped my friends coordinate outfits, but I never had enough money to get fashionable outfits. "Daddy, daddy! There's a dressing room which is twice the size of our living room!"

I walked into the bathroom. "Daddy, the bathroom's bigger than my room!" The bathtub was the size of a jacuzzi pool. And it was made of marble. Marble. "It feels exactly like I'm living my dream."

"Daddy also feels the same way."

**

* * *

**

Mimi's dad's POV

I was standing outside a grand house. "Meems, we must both calm down and remember that we're not dreaming." I hung up.

* * *

**Gennai's POV**"Mrs. Tachikawa!" I called to the woman standing as still as a statue in the living room. Sighing, I headed outside. "Mr. Tachikawa, please follow me, okay?" I led him into the living room.

"Are both of you satisfied with the house?" Mr. Tachikawa nodded. He then tapped his wife on her cheeks a few times to get her to start moving again. She nodded.

"Then, are there any more requests from both of you?" They both shook their heads. "Then, may I trouble both of you to sign this document? Sign this document, and the house is yours." As Mr. Tachikawa's hand inched towards the pen I held, Mrs. Tachikawa grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Is this house really a present for us?"

"This is Mr. Takuya's small token of appreciation for both of you."

"Giving us a big house is a called small token of appreciation?"

"Well, Mr. Takuya, in return for this house, has a small favour to ask of both of you."

* * *

A/N: And there you are! I'm doing each chapter in small parts. There's still a lot of chapters to go. It makes me wonder if I should break the story up in episodes, each about 8 chapters. I mean, it would help to increase the number of Michi fanfiction. What do you think? Give me suggestions in the reviews, thank you. (:


	6. Chapter Six

Author's Note: Chapter 6! I'll concentrate on Home Again after this chapter. Fear not though, I'll still be writing new chapters for Steps to Romance. Please review though, so I know that people are still reading. If I feel that no one is reading, and that I'm wasting my effort, I'll stop, so please review!

Disclaimer : I do not own Digimon.

"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage_ – Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"This is like a princess's life! Especially this!" I touched the huge bed, "It's so soft!"

I jumped onto the bed, rolling on it. "So soft and so comfortable!" I laid on my back. Then suddenly, Taichi's face was above mine, only inches away again. "You look like you can completely adapt to the Takuya Family life."

I screamed and leapt off the bed. "I had forgotten, you're only here for this lifestyle, so it's perfectly normal." He left the room.

"Hey! You simply have no manners!" I ran after him, "You didn't knock on the door and just came in!"

"I did knock." He replied smugly, "Just that someone was rolling around too happily to hear."

"Really?" I stopped in my tracks, "Well, still, you can't just come in like that."

He bent down, face inches from mine once again, "Then do you want me to go out and knock first?"

"Nevermind." I tilted my face to the side, away from his.

"That's good. I don't want to do that either."

_He's just here to ask me if I'm a fake, right? _"Anything you want?"

"Emp. sent me here to show you around."

"There's no need." I started walking away, "I'm not staying here anyway."

He started clapping his hands. "Not bad. You also know how to retreat in order to advance.

I couldn't stand it anymore. "You're a very weird, egomaniac person, do you know that? And it's grandpa who asked me to stay!"

"Grandpa, grandpa. So easily spoken."

"Do you have to be so impolite?"

He turned, his brown eyes on mine, "My education tells me that I should be impolite to those who are only after someone else's money."

"You're… You're just weird!" I exclaimed, exasperated, "From the beginning of all this, it has been you Takuya Family people calling me Mizuki Takuya! If you don't believe it, just go and ask!"

"I asked. So…" He started walking around me, "I'm here to check your body for… evidence."

I ran towards the wall, two hands guarding my butt, back against the wall. "How can I freely show you that area?" He walked towards me, placing his palm against the wall, his hand just a few inches away from it. On it was a ring with a crest. The crest had 8 triangles surrounding three circles inscribed within. The crest of Courage. I didn't have time to ponder upon it though.

"And that proof is underneath your buttocks, that crest of Sincerity shaped birthmark." He whispered into my ear, "Or is it a tattoo, and you fear letting others see it?"

I pushed him away from me. "Get out! I hate your kind of people the most!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
Taichi's POV**

"Get out! I hate your kind of people the most!" Those words hurt. I didn't know why, but they did. I couldn't bring myself to believe that she was the real Mizuki Takuya though. _She's cute when she's angry though. Argh, what's happening? I can't start liking her. Though I guess I succeeded in making her hate me. And I have to continue making sure she hates me._

"So easily offended. So indignant. I think, we'll continue tomorrow. Our meeting has been extremely delightful." I forced a smile, then walked off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
Mimi's POV**

_How can he be like that? Continuously messing with me. Always saying that I'm out to steal others' fortunes. Anything he says to me, I'll… Oh, forget it. This is just like a television drama. They're the sons from a rich and influential predecessor. However, why does he only mess with me? Argh!_

"Miss Takuya." a woman wearing a business suit entered my room.

"Is anything the matter?" I replied, standing up.

"We are delivering the clothes for you to change into after your bath." She clapped her hands. And in came maids pushing racks of nightgowns. "Miss Takuya, these are the nightgowns Emp. has prepared for you."

"All these, are just nightgowns?"

"Yes, Miss Takuya. If you're not satisfied, we can immediately call and ask someone to send over nightgowns of the style you like."

"It's… It's okay." _Oh gosh. This is like shopping! This kind of life must be more luxurious than a princess's!_

"Miss Takuya, please select a nightgown for the night."

"I'll just select one." I chose a random rack and sifted through the nightgowns hung there. I chose a white night gown with short sleeves, with an intricate lace design at the hem. The woman clapped her hands again, and the maids left with the racks of nightgowns. "Miss Takuya, we'll help you to prepare your bath water. What kind of flower petal fragrance would you like?" I looked at her, at lost as to what to say. With that, she clapped her hands again. Four maids came in, each carrying a basket filled with different kinds and mixes of flower petals, except for one who was carrying a basket filled with bottles of bath oils.

"Is it so troublesome to just bath? And so many flower petals too."

"Miss Takuya, if you don't like flower petals, we also have bath oils." She said, gesturing to the baskets.

"It's fine. I can just use soap. There's no need to go through such trouble." _Wow, such trouble for just a bath._

"Miss Takuya, here's an envelope from Emp."

"What is this?"

"I'm also not sure."

"Oh, next time when I take a bath, there's no need to go through such trouble. Also, if you have no further matters, you may go and get a rest first."

"Yes, Miss Takuya."

_This envelope could be anything. _I opened the envelope. _Mizuki, this is your pocket money. It's Meems, grandpa. Sigh. _I took out the check in the envelope. _14,000,000 yen? This is too extravagant! What's with these rich people? I can't go on staying in such a strange place! I must leave this strange place immediately! This place doesn't even seem real! I'll just call Daddy to bring me home early in the morning tomorrow. Even if he's my grandfather, he's still a stranger to me._

I picked up my phone. "Your phone call will be switched over to voice mail. After the tone, you will be charged." _Why is no one answering? Weird._

"Your phone call will be switched over to voice mail…" _Even Mommy's not answering._I dialed my house number.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
Mimi's dad's POV**

We were sitting in our house, I mean, old home, when the phone rings. We don't answer it. Our belongings are packed into cardboard boxes, furniture covered with white cloth.

"Daddy, are there anymore things to pack?"

"Everything should be ready. The Takuya Family people do things quickly." The phone rings again. We look at it. We don't answer it. We just take our family portrait from beside it, our belongings, and leave to go to a new home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
Mimi's POV**

I closed my phone, giving up. _Although I have fantasized about becoming a rich young lady, but when that dream comes true, I realise that being a rich person is also not that good. Having only a little bit of money is good enough._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
Taichi's POV**

"Okay, baby, remember to think of me. Goodnight." Yamato hung up the phone. He had just finished talking to his new girlfriend. "So how's our little princess?"

"Sigh. Not bad. She's in her room."

"Hmm. No wonder your mood's so bad. We've brought two bottles of wine for you."

"Here, Taichi!" T.K. held up the wine bottle in his hand while Kari read the label of the wine bottle in hers.

"Come on Tai," Yamato coaxed, "A cup of wine, and you'll be able to sleep better."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
Emp.'s POV**

"Grandfather swears, I must let you be the world's happiest little princess. Forever and ever protecting you, never letting harm come to you." I smiled, hearing myself in the video of Mizuki when she was young with her parents.

"Mizuki, grandpa has finally found you. You can depend on grandpa now." _Grandpa swears, from now on, he will use any mean to protect you well. To look after you, to let you be happy and joyful for a lifetime. Even if grandpa cannot live that long, I'll still find the most suitable person to look after you well for a lifetime._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A/N: The end! Please review and suggest, so I know that there are actually people reading this, or I will stop writing this story. Thank you! (:

Hmm. Taichi's supposed to have a huge ego, right? O.o


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter 7! I think I just figured out why there are hardly any reviews. I had anonymous reviews disabled. .  
My bad. Well, I enabled them, so, FLOOD IT WITH REVIEWS!  
Anyway, to the story!  
Oh, and once again, Thank you to **Evil-Chibi-Tiffy** for all the reviews. They really make my day, and help me in improving the story. (:

Do you think I own Digimon? Do you? Well, it's a YES!

…NOT.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steps to Romance – Chapter 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Tai, to be frankly speaking, there was no need for you to reject the little princess." Yamato said, as he sat beside me on the sofa, "Anyway, you should try to get along with her better. Perhaps you'll find out that she's not so bad after all."

"Whether she's a good person, or a bad person, I do not intend to find out."

"So you have already made up your mind to make the little princess hate you."

"Big brother, why do you intend to make Mizuki hate you?"

"I have my reasons." I said, swirling the white wine in my glass.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_This is the first time I've ever slept at another person's house. Sigh. I couldn't sleep well at all. I'm so tired! Princess beds are not nice to sleep on after all. Sigh._

I looked at my watch. It was currently 8:08 a.m. "Mom and Dad should have woken up by now." I walked around the huge room, phone to my ear. "Why aren't they answering?"

A maid entered my room, pushing a cart laden with food, and asked, "Miss Takuya, where you would like to eat your breakfast?"  
  
"Anywhere's fine." _Forget it. I'll head back home by myself._ I changed back into my home clothes. I had already worn them for one day, but they would have to do. I picked up my suitcase, and left the envelope with the 'pocket money' on the table.

I walked through corridor after corridor. Passing room after room. It was huge. Finally, I found a way out, only to find out that I was in the humongous garden. There were some of those men dressed in a black uniform and a red beret (security guards), but they didn't stop me. I sat on a bench, under the cool shade of the trees. It was stifling hot. _What kind of place is this? I've been walking for thirty minutes, and I still can't find the way out. It feels as if I'll have to walk around this place for a lifetime before I finally find the way out._ Frustrated, I shouted, "Who will save me?"

And then Head Manager Gennai came out of nowhere, saying, "Miss Takuya, good morning."

I stood up. "Head Manager Gennai, where did you come from?"

"Miss Takuya, do you need my help?"

_Could I ask him for the way out of here? No, I decided. He might try to stop me. _"Err, where's grandpa?"

"Emp. is still resting. Do you have anything that you need to ask him?"

"It's okay then. I'll just wait for him to wake up."

And then I saw him. Dressed in another white tuxedo, with a long ribbon as a tie. Taichi Yagami. _He looks dashing. He's still an egomaniac, pervertic guy though, so, whatever! Argh!_

"You wake up quite early."

"That's only because I want to go home." _Wait, why am I telling him? In what way is he more trustable than Head Manager Gennai?_ "I'm waiting for grandpa to wake up. And then I'll go."

"Leaving so soon?" He looked at my pockets, my suitcase, then at my face. "Could it be that you've stolen something of value?"

I couldn't take it anymore. "You… you… If I were a male student, I would beat you up!"

Taichi said sacarstically, patting his chest to further imply that he was being sacarstic, "Wow, I'm so afraid."

And then his tone became serious. "Let me warn you, never come back again." He held up a finger, pointing at my face, "I hope you aren't some kind of person who will disturb our lives."

"You pig, you don't have to warn me. I won't stoop that low. I haven't taken a dime."

"Are you sure?"

Exasperated, I marched off, telling Head Manager Gennai, "Tell grandpa that I don't want to stay anymore. I'm leaving."

"Miss Takuya-" Head Manager Gennai began, but Taichi cut him off, saying, "Have a safe journey!", further irking me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
**Taichi's POV**

"Master Yagami," Head Manager Gennai said, handing me an envelope, and walked off, calling, "Miss Takuya!"

I looked at the envelope. On it was her name. Understanding dawned upon me. _She hasn't taken Emp.'s money. Don't tell me… I wronged her?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Mimi's POV**

I was sitting in the limousine with Head Manager Gennai beside me. I was heading home.

"Miss Takuya, please don't be angry. Master Yagami is usually not that kind of person. He's a polite, warm, and educated person."

"How is that so? He obviously… forget it. I won't be seeing him again, so good bye to him." I looked out the window. We were driving along an unfamiliar road. "Head Manager Gennai, are we going in the right direction? This isn't the way to my house."

"Miss Takuya, Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa have already moved to a new house. We're now heading in the direction of the new house."

"My mom and dad moved?"

"Mm."

I got out of the limousine when it stopped, and when Head Manager Gennai opened the door for me. The new apartment looked luxurious from the outside. It even had a gate. _Are Mom and Dad crazy? To buy a house in such a good area. How did they manage to afford it?_

I heard the door open, then my mom in a bright pink shirt coming out. "Mommy!"

"Mimi!" She ran towards me and hugged me.

"Mommy, did you guys really buy this house? Did you strike lottery or something? Such a good house, and you didn't tell me?"

"Well, this… house, well… Mr. Takuya gave it to us. He said that he wanted to express his thanks for us. A kind of raising you thank you gift."

"A luxurious house… for a thank you gift?" My mom could only nod.

"Mommy who is it?" My dad asked, as he walked out of the house.

"Daddy!" I ran to hug him.

"Mimi! Daddy missed you! Daddy really missed you!" Suddenly, he stopped laughing, "I forgot. I have to call you Miss Takuya now."

"Why? Is it because I'm not the Tachikawa family's daughter?" I said, accusingly.

"Let's not stand outside the door. Let's go in and talk about it."

I walked in, my mood sour. Once in, my mom gestured at the dining table which had a lot of dishes of food on it. I took a sit around the dining table, feeling disappointed.

"Just one day and you guys are like this? You guys have changed into strangers! Even if I'm now the Takuya Family's child, I'm still Mimi Tachikawa!"

"You have a point," My dad started saying, "It feels as if you belong to another world now though. To the Takuya Family's world."

"Also," My mom started saying, "Mr. Takuya's meaning is for us not to disturb your family, especially you while you stay with the Takuya Family."

"I don't believe that you'll disturb me!" I looked at my mom, and smiled, "Aren't we a family?"

"Mm." My mom said, looking at the floor. I looked at my dad, who was doing the same thing. I started sobbing.

"I don't want it to be like this! Let's go to them. We can give back the house and move back to our old home. We'll treat it like nothing like this has ever happened."

"However…" My dad started saying, then stopped.

"However, you're not willing to give it up."

"It's not the issue of being able to give it up or not. Now, because of this, Daddy and Mommy can work in the Takuya Family Company."

"Also," my mom added in, "You're better off with the Takuya Family. Atleast you won't have to worry about not being able to pay for your school and tuition fees. You can buy whatever you want. All the clothes, shoes, anything you want."

"Liars! You're all liars! Just say it that you don't want me anymore! It has only been one night, and you don't want me anymore! This is the same as being bought by the Takuya Family!" I started to run off, but my mom grabbed my hand.

"Mimi! It's not like that!"

"It's exactly like that! Someone gives you a house, and you give your daughter to him! It's like I'm being sold, how is it not like that?"

"Mimi, this is not the same!"

"Mimi," My dad started to say, "Your genuine family members are in the Takuya Family. Furthermore, you're Mr. Takuya's only granddaughter. They have been looking for you for years. He misses you and wants to live with you. This is also the way that it should be."

"However, I don't even know them. I never thought that they would appear. Do you guys know that I'm not even happy there? They're all very strange, they keep saying that I just want to steal their belongings." I said, starting to sob louder, "I don't want to be their family's child, I want to be your family's child!"

"Mimi…" my mom said, hugging me.

"Mommy, did you know?"

"Don't cry…" My mom said, rubbing my back.

"Alright! Since our family's Mimi doesn't want to go, we'll give the house back to the Takuya Family! If I get fired, so be it! I believe that I, Keisuke Tachikawa, can find another job!"

"Right! Now that I think about it, since this house is so big, cleaning it would tire me half to death!" My mom exclaimed.

"Right! Let's move immediately!"

"Move immediately!"

"Move promptly!"

"Move now!"

"We definitely must move!"

"Then I'll go and pack our belongings." I said, smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE END!

HAHAHHAHA. Oh, and just for the record. Taichi, Hikari, Yamato, and Takeru are NOT related to Emp. or Mimi by blood. Just by family connections.  
Well, I've decided not to split this story up into different episodes, but if you want to know, Chapters One to Seven would be Episode One. So, yea! (:

Next, Chapter Eight!


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter 8! I forgot to add in the previous chapter that I updated my profile (Teehee!) so do go and check it out. Oh, and do you think Mimi is too out of character? I mean, she is supposed to be dramatic.

I do not own Digimon. Seriously.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage_ – Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steps to Romance – Chapter 8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Mimi's POV**

I walked back into the living room happily, holding a luggage. Then I saw my mom and dad, their heads close together, eyes closed, looking dejected. And then I felt bad. Really bad. Before I could react, I accidentally dropped the luggage I was holding, hence alerting them to my presence. They looked shocked, then stood up, pasted a smile on their faces and exclaimed, "Let's move! Pack up, pack up!"

"Mom, dad. Forget it. Just accept the house."

"Huh?"

"You've already wanted a big house for such a long time, and furthermore, he gave it to you. However, this isn't a gift. This is a loan. A loan between the Tachikawa family and the Takuya Family. We borrowed money from them to buy this house! This way, you both won't be fired, and I have a reason to not stay in the Takuya Family's house. If we accept this gift, endless misfortune will be upon us." They were grinning.

"However, Meems, the price for this house isn't cheap. Even if your mom… sells herself, no one would want her."

There was a minute of silence.

"Oh well, nevermind. Leave it to me. I'll think of something." _Since there's such a rich relative…  
_  
(Later in the day…)

"Borrow money? What for?" Grandpa asked.

"Well, poor people have poor people's reasons." I held up a form, "This is an I.O.U. form. Please affix a seal."

"Hmm. My own granddaughter even knows how to sign an I.O.U. to come and discuss a transaction with me." Grandpa said as he chuckled, "She's indeed my own granddaughter. However, Mimi, can you pay the loan in future? I gave your foster parents the house, a house which can be easily sold for over 275,000,000 yen."

"Over 275,000,000 yen?"

"For my own granddaughter's sake though, I will give you a discount. Hmm, 15,000,000 yen."

"Fine, fine. Affix the seal before it's too late to regret it."

"Gennai, the stamp." Gennai handed grandpa the stamp.

Suddenly, I had a vision of Gennai and grandpa laughing maniacally at me, saying, "Foolish child" over and over again.

I quickly slid my hand below the stamp to prevent grandpa from sealing the deal. Instead of the I.O.U., grandpa accidentally stamped my hand with the stamp.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, then pointed at him with my good hand, "Grandpa, you must be plotting something, right?"

"Hmm. Indeed a Takuya Family member. Reaction's fast. Since you regard it as a loan, there has to be a guarantor. And you're the guarantor."

"Me?"

"Before the 15,000,000 yen has been paid off, you have to stay here. The deadline is 5 years. You have to pay the loan within 5 years, or you'll have to marry my successor."

I stared at him in mute shock. "What? You want me to marry your successor?"

"The conditions are already very good. Instead of 275,000,000 yen, you only have to pay 15,000,000 yen, with no interest."

"Isn't that the same as selling my body?"

"Alright, I won't accept your terms. I only urge your parents to accept the house."

"No way, no way. If my parents accept the house, I'll have to stay here, and they can't acknowledge me as their daughter. Grandpa, you're too devious. You know that no matter what, I don't want to stay here."

"Now you know how excellent your blood relations are. This I.O.U. must be stamped."

"Let me think about it."

"You better think through it carefully to avoid saying in the future that grandpa tricked you."

_Now this is weird. Doesn't grandpa want me to stay here? Now he's saying that as long as I have the 15,000,000 yen, I can leave. What is grandpa planning? _I thought for awhile more. _Oh, I got it! In the future if I marry another person, then I can surely move out. And then grandpa cannot control me anymore. However, if I and the Takuya Family Company successor and I get married, I'll be in grandpa's control forever._

"Have you thought through it yet? The 15,000,000 yen is easy to earn, however, you can't get your foster parents' help, you have to depend on yourself." _Grandpa really believes that I can't pay the 15,000,000 yen. However, I have a deadline of 5 years. If I work diligently, it's not impossible. Fine. I'll take the gamble._

"Okay, I've thought through it. Let's sign the agreement."

"Grandpa must remind you that if you can't pay off the loan in 5 years, you have to marry my successor. Don't come back in 5 days wanting to cancel our agreement."

"I definitely won't cancel our agreement."

"Then I'll tell you more information. You have met Taichi, right? Among the Takuya Family children, I am most pleased with him. He's very capable, good leadership skills, good personality. He is the top selection to be my successor."

"You said that Taichi has a good personality? Taichi Yagami? Grandpa, don't worry. If your successor has such a good personality and good conduct, I'll do everything I can. I do not want to marry your successor. In 5 years, I definitely can pay off the 15,000,000 yen. Grandpa, sign the agreement?"

He looked at loss for words, until he finally said, "Gennai. The stamp." And then he sealed the agreement. I walked off with it in a file, under my arm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Emp.'s POV**

"Gennai, what happened between Taichi and that child?"

"I think that Master Yagami knew that you were intending to join Miss Takuya and him together, so he's acting cold towards Miss Takuya."

"Have you heard of a saying, Gennai?"

"Is it the saying that the more you don't want something to happen, the more it'll happen?"

"Yes. That's life."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Mimi's POV**

I heard grandpa and Head Manager Gennai telling me to wake up. When I opened my eyes, grandpa said, "Five years have already passed."

"So quickly?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Yes. Since you were unable to pay the 15,000,000 yen, you have to marry my successor. You will marry Taichi today."

"Today?" More maniacal laughter. "Sigh. Since I couldn't pay back the 15,000,000 yen. Still, Taichi's handsome. Marrying him shouldn't be so bad."

"Really? Time can change a lot of things. Taichi, come in!" Suddenly, it felt as if the ground was shaking.

"What's happening?" And in walked Taichi. A very fat Taichi. "Taichi, what happened to you?"

"Taichi has been eating for all these 5 years. He has not stopped, so now he's this fat." Gennai explained, laughing maniacally.

"Alright, little fatty Taichi," grandpa started saying, "kiss Mimi!"

"Yes," Gennai added, "kiss her, not eat her!"

Taichi headed towards me. As he did, he suddenly fell, landing on me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MUAHAHHAHAHA. SUSPENSE. Well, read the next chapter to find out what's going on! ;) 


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter 9! (:  
Oh, and I'll be overseas for a few days, so, no updates for awhile. ):

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steps to Romance- Chapter 9

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Mimi's POV**

"Ahhh!" I screamed, and sat up on my bed. _Phew, it was just a dream. Plus, I would hate to die from being squashed by Taichi Yagami._

"Miss Takuya, we have prepared breakfast for you."

I headed to my room's living room area (Yes, it's that big), and I watched in shock as maids began piling the coffee table with dishes of food. Waffles, pancakes, bread, and so much more food. _Wow. It feels like I'm acting in a movie._

"Miss Takuya, please enjoy your breakfast."

"Thank you." I started eating the food. "Where's grandpa?"

"Emp. and the Minister of Finance are playing golf."

_Playing golf with the Minister of Finance? He's indeed a rich person._

"Miss Takuya, Emp. has prepared a video clip for you to watch." The television was switched on. The first thing I saw on the screen was Yolei saying, "Meems! I didn't expect that you would be Asia's richest family's granddaughter! Atleast this way, it's better for you. You don't have to work so hard anymore. Takuya Family's mansion must be huge, right? Didn't you once say that you would like us to eat breakfast in bed?" And then the scene switched to many other people greeting me, talking about me. People I have never interacted with, never talked too."Why did Emp. record this video clip?"

"Emp. was worried that Miss Takuya would feel lonely, so he specially recorded this clip of Miss Takuya's friends and classmates giving their blessings to you."

_I didn't expect grandpa to do all this for me. This is probably how a rich man shows his affections. It's so different from how common people express their affections. Perhaps grandpa's giving of a house didn't have a hidden meaning. Only purely to thank Mommy and Daddy for raising me. _The scene in the video clip switched to a scene of Mommy and Daddy blessing me. I smiled. _Anyway, today's a Sunday. I'll eat my breakfast, then chat with Mommy and Daddy. Actually, now that I think about it, being a rich young lady isn't so bad._

Awhile later, I headed towards the main foyer of the house, anxious to go out and see Mommy and Daddy. I was wearing a sapphire coloured dress, and my hair was flowing freely, naturally wavy. Then all of the sudden, Head Manager Gennai appeared and stopped me.

"Why can't I go?" I asked him.

"Miss Takuya, I didn't mean that you can't go to see Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa, but that your status now is different from the ordinary common people. Emp. is worried about your personal safety."

"So…"

"So Emp. has specifically said that your comings and goings requires someone who he feels is trustworthy to accompany you. Only then are you allowed to go."

"Then in other words…"

In the end, I was in a limousine that was heading towards my parents' house. In a limousine that Taichi Yagami was sitting in. He was typing madly on his laptop, looking frustrated.

"Hey, I'm not willing to go back to my parents' house with you too. If it wasn't for Emp.'s specific instructions that I have to go with someone whom he trusted, which is apparently, you, I wouldn't have wanted you to come along." _My heartbeats' are still getting faster though. Why?_

"So you had to beg me."

"I didn't beg you."

"Don't tell me you didn't beg me then."

"Of course I didn't beg you."

"You did."

"Not."

"Did."

"Not."

"Not."

"Not. That doesn't work on me."

"If you say so. Good. Takehiro, turn around. Head back to the mansion, we aren't going anymore."

"Eh! Takehiro, continue driving. We aren't heading back to the mansion." I sighed, and said, "Fine, fine. Let's take it that I begged you. Thank you for accompanying me to see my parents."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Taichi's POV**

For some reason, I felt an immense joy. I didn't let it show though. I typed faster on my keyboard, hoping it would help me to get rid of this joy I was feeling.

"Hey, since you're so reluctant to accompany me, why did you agree?"

"You and I are the same. We have to obey Emp.'s words."

"So your meaning is that Emp. told you to…"

I cut her off. "I'm already very clear on what Head Manager Gennai said about what Emp. said." There was a long period of silence until she suddenly said, "Why do you keep typing on the computer? With all this swaying about in the car, won't you get dizzy?"

"Nope." However, I was getting dizzy. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore, and pressed my fingers against my forehead to try and stop the dull throbbing that was getting stronger.

She looked smug as she said, "See? You did get dizzy."

I tried to make my actions unnoticeable as possible, and then I closed my laptop sheepishly, hoping that she didn't see my expression.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Mimi's POV**

_Taichi Yagami, if you ignore his personality, he's perfect. He's handsome, rich, and has good capabilities. He's simply the same as those princes on white horses in fairy tales. If I really can't pay the promised 15,000,000 yen, I might actually be able to, though reluctantly, marry him._

Suddenly, his warm brown eyes were on mine, and I realised that I had been staring at him while I was thinking. "Hey, I'm telling you, I wasn't staring at you."

He looked away, obviously unconvinced.

"I mean it! Just a moment ago I was looking out the window and there was a flying…" _Forget it. I couldn't lie. No wonder I had the crest of Sincerity._

"A flying saucer?"

"Right… a flying saucer!" _Should I really be lying about this? This is hard. Why do I have to be so sincere?_

"Are you certain that it was Superman flying past?" He added.

_Forget it. Atleast now I know that I really can't lie. What was I thinking of? I'm better off working hard to earn that 15,000,000 yen than marrying him. Who would have thought that such a handsome guy would have such a vile personality?_

Finally, we reached our destination. As I got out of the car (one of those security guards opened the door for me), I realised that Taichi didn't get out of the limousine. I knocked on the window of the limousine. He rolled it down.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in with me? Being alone in the car is going to be awfully boring."

"It won't."

"Fine. Suit yourself. Stay in the car then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Taichi's POV**

I continued typing on my laptop. I was starting to feel hungry. About one hour later, there was another knock on my window. I rolled it down. And there she was.

"Do you want to come in for dinner? My mom has specially prepared your share too."

"I don't want to. I'm not hungry." I could feel that my stomach was going to growl soon, and I hoped that she wouldn't hear it.

"Are you really not hungry?" She asked, as if she could sense that I was lying to her, "I know that our family can't be compared with the Takuya Family in the ingredients that we use in our dishes, but my mom wanted me to ask you to come in for awhile. Fine. If you don't want to then."

She started walking off. For some reason, I decided that I should listen to her. I mean, her mom. I opened the door, walked out of the limousine, and said, "Since your mom has the sincerity to ask, I'll go in."

"Are you sure that you want to go in?"

"Was your invitation false?"

"Of course it wasn't. Crest of Sincerity, remember?" Her hand touched a necklace that hung around her neck. I hadn't really noticed it, since I had been trying not to look at her, which had been strangely, difficult. It was like Hikari's necklace, however, instead of the crest of Light, it was the crest of Sincerity. It was a Takuya Family heirloom, and I hadn't noticed that she had it. The fact that she had it further proved that she was Mizuki Takuya.

Shaking my head to try and clear my thoughts, I headed inside the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Gennai's POV**

Emp. was waiting for Miss Takuya to eat dinner with him. I checked my pocket watch. "Emp. It's already 8 p.m. Do you want the first course?"

"I'll wait awhile for Mizuki."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Taichi's POV**

"Eat up a bit." Mrs. Tachikawa told me, "This duck meat is delicious."

She started piling up food on my plate.

"Thank you."

I was about to take the first bite of her cooking when I realised that everyone was staring at me as if in anticipation. "What?"

"It's nothing." Mr. Tachikawa started to say, "We're just worried that you aren't used to this kind of ordinary food."

I took the first bite of my food. _Delicious._ They were still staring at me, as if they were waiting for my verdict. "Delicious."

"Really? Delicious! Eat more!" Mrs. Tachikawa exclaimed, "The pineapple shrimp ball is the most elegant looking dish in my opinion." Next to me, Mimi was smiling cheerfully. It felt great.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Mimi's POV**

_I didn't expect that he would actually compliment my mom's cooking. I mean that it's delicious, but it probably wasn't Takuya Family standards. He's actually not that bad. I probably just wronged him and it led to all this misunderstanding. He looks so blissful, eating._

"Psst." My dad started saying to my mom, "Isn't there a pot of soup in the kitchen? Go and see whether it's done yet."

"Oh, right! You guys eat slowly and enjoy your food, I'll go see if the soup is done." My mom left, followed shortly by my dad who said, "Right, you both enjoy your food I'll go and help her."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Everytime we have people over, my mom would have cooked this very delicious dish which she would keep giving the food from this dish to the guest all the time. If you're unable to eat anymore, it's alright, you can give it to me."

"Oh, it's fine. I can finish it."

I looked up at where I heard someone saying "Psst". It was my mom and dad, peeking out from the kitchen door and beckoning me to go to the kitchen. As I entered the kitchen, I heard my mom and dad saying, "Why did you think Master Yagami wanted to follow Mimi back to our house? Don't tell me it's…"

"Don't tell me it's what?" I marched to where they were standing.

My parents pretended that they didn't notice that I was there, and continued, saying, "To woo her! You see, if Master Yagami and Mimi are together, they would make a really good pair! Master Yagami's background is also good. Tall and handsome, with a good body…"

"No way, no way," my dad interrupted, "Mimi's too young to talk about love. I won't allow… won't allow…"

"You won't allow what?" My mom asked, "I feel that if both of them are together, they would make a great match."

"Hey," I finally interrupted, "Do you guys still want to act? You two called me inside just to act this scene out for me to see. You guys should be able to see that it's impossible for me and that guy to have any relationship."

"Huh…" They said, sounding disappointed.

"Why can't you two have a relationship? I mean… Daddy, you say it."

"She means that you two can have a relationship."

"Have you two had enough?" I said, walking back to the dining room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Mimi's mom's POV**

"Daddy, did you see?" I whispered.

"Blushing~"

"Shy, shy face~"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There! How was it? (:


	10. Chapter Ten

I would like to thank **Evil-Chibi-Tiffy** for her reviews. Oh, and based on one of her reviews, I have edited Chapter 4 and 6 slightly (Taichi says that he's starting to **like** Mimi, not **love** her). So, thank you so much! It's really greatly appreciated.  
I just wrote a **MICHI **one-shot named **Forever**. Do read it, and please **review** it, so that I'll know whether you guys prefer my old one-shots or one-shots like **Forever**.  
Once again, thank you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage_ – Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 10  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

Emp. was still waiting, staring in front of him stonily faced. I decided that Emp. probably had enough, so I signaled to the violinists to stop playing.

"Gennai, Mizuki is still not back?"

"Yes. Master Yagami and Miss Takuya have not left the Tachikawa residence. Would you like the servants to cook a fresh dish for you so that you can dine first?"

"No need. I'm not hungry."

**Mimi's POV**

_The Tachikawa family ancestors have a saying. And that is that there cannot be any leftovers. If there are any leftovers, they must be fought over. Since the enemies are Mommy and Daddy, I cannot be lenient! _Mommy, Daddy, and I stood up, chopstickes ready and hovering over the last pineapple shrimp ball on the plate. _So, I have to look provoking._

"Since everyone has the same thought," My dad started saying, keeping his eyes on the pineapple shrimp ball, "We'll use the old methods to solve this problem."

"Yes, there's no other choice but to use the old method to solve this problem." I replied, also keeping my eyes on the pineapple shrimp ball.

"Go!" My mom exclaimed, and we all aimed for the pineapple shrimp ball.

There were a lot of chopsticks hitting one another, but no one got the pineapple shrimp ball. After awhile, we stopped.

"This can't do. It'll be endless." I started saying. "Hey, Taichi, why don't you join us?"

**Taichi's POV**

I was shocked, and then I smiled. "Me?" _Hmm. This will be interesting. I bet that I can get that pineapple shrimp ball._

"Yes," Mr. Tachikawa started saying, "This is our family's tradition, you wouldn't want to break it, would you?"

"Chopsticks ready." Mrs. Tachikawa said.

**Mimi's POV**

We were getting ready to strike. Just another second, and we would strike for that pineapple shrimp ball. Then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. We saw Taichi reach for the shrimp ball with his chopsticks, then pop it into his mouth, looking satisfied. And then I realised that he had eaten a lot for dinner. _What does the guy have, a black hole for a stomach?  
_  
Then he seemed to realise that my parents put down their chopsticks slowly, shocked. He then had a cute expression on his face, as if he was saying, 'What did I do?'. _He's actually not that bad, after all._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

"Emp. Master Yagami and Miss. Takuya have already left the Tachikawa residence." Emp. looked at me. "However, they have already eaten, so please dine now. I'll call the kitchen to heat up the dishes."

Emp. stood up angrily, said, "I'm not eating!", and then left the dining room.

**Mimi's POV**

"Okay Mommy, don't worry. They all take very good care of me." Then she said something shocking. I looked at Taichi, then to the front of the limousine. "Mommy, don't say things like that! There's no possibility between me and him! Okay… okay… I'm hanging up."

I looked at him. He looked amused. "What?"

"Your mom definitely mentioned me while you were speaking on the phone with her." I looked away, face feeling hot.

**Taichi's POV**

_This person actually has a family that someone can be envious of. Such a naturally warm family._ I closed my eyes. _ In this world, any amount of wealth can't even buy that. In fact, even she's… now I… What am I thinking? It's impossible between me and her. Taichi Yagami, don't think about it again._

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" I turned to look at her, shocked. Her face was inches from mine, her cinnamon orbs looking innocent, yet at the same time, knowing.

"What I was thinking about… you could hear it?"

"Through all that hair? Maybe."

"Fine. If you do, what was I thinking about?"

"You were thinking that I have a family that you could be envious of, and that after I say this, you'll be wondering how I knew, and go all 'What?'."

She went back to seat, looking slightly smug. _What?_

**Gennai's POV**

(The next day…)

I walked Emp. into the dining room. "Where's Mizuki's utenstils?"

"Err. Master Yagami and Miss Takuya left for the Tachikawa residence this morning. They'll probably not be back for lunch too."

"Again? Why does she keep going there? How many times must she go there?"

"Do you want me to go and bring her back?"

"No need. The problem doesn't lie with her."

"You're referring to…"

"Gennai. The lion and the cat are different."

"Yes."

"Do you think the noble lion should constantly contact the cat?"

"I understand."

**Mr. Tachikawa's POV**

I was called into Emp.'s office at the Takuya Family Company. I was feeling nervous.

I entered the spacious office, and noticed an old man, presumably Emp., sitting down on a chair, and Head Manager Gennai was standing beside him.

"This should be our first time meeting."

"Yes, Chairman. I haven't thanked you yet. Mimi said…"

"I called you here for another reason."

"Yes."

"How long have you worked for the company?"

"Fift… fifteen years."

He hit the ground with the bottom of his walking cane and said, "And your position in the company is still low (Not sure how to phrase it)."

I remained silent.

"Why?"

"Chairman, I don't really understand your question."

"Why have you been working for the company for fifteen years, and you still have a low position in the company? Is it a problem with the company's system, or is it a problem with your ablitities?"

"The company's system is perfect."

"Then the problem lies in your abilities."

"Do you feel accomplished? What kind of example do you think you set for Mizuki? Are you and your wife a couple who hope to depend on Mizuki for the rest of your lives? To not worry about food and clothes?"

"We're not like that."

"Of course you can speak like that."

"Chairman, what's your opinion of me?"

"Really? Gennai, isn't it obvious?"

"Yes, Emp. This is extremely obvious." _Bootlicker._

"I'm just saying that just say what your personal opinion of me is, there's no need to beat around the bush."

"Okay. I'll tell you clearly. I believe that you simply do not have the qualifications to be Mizuki's adoptive father. Your existence will only further hinder Mizuki's future developments. "

I walked across the road, Emp.'s words ringing in my ears. I heard a loud horn, and then a bus coming towards me. Luckily, it stopped in time.

I headed home and had a chat with my wife about this. Emp. had said that I was a failure as a employee, a husband, and a father, and asked if I would rather continue to be a failure, or prove my ability in Brazil. He gave us a sum of money for it.

"I don't want Mimi to think that I'm a failure." I told my wife.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was sitting in the mansion's bar, looking at the wine in my glass, when Yamato sat down beside me and said, "Tai. I heard rumours that you and the little princess already went to see her parents."

"Matt, why have I been feeling like you've been hoping for something to happen between me and the little princess?"

"Have I?"

"Yes." Hikari replied.

"And it's obvious!" Takeru joined in.

"Maybe it's because I've been bored. And I want you to be happy, Tai."

"If you're that free, maybe I should call Emp. and tell him to give you the family business to manage."

"No way. You know that I only understand how to eat, drink, and be merry. I need to continue to maintain that impression in front of Emp., okay?"

"Casanova. You're still pretending?"

"I really only understand how to eat, drink, and be merry. I think Emp.'s ashamed of me. He diligently educated us, and you guys are so outstanding."

"Takeru, your brother pretending in order to avoid being the successor is a really wise move." Hikari said.

"Tai could try doing it, but it's too late for him." Yamato said, "Besides, he's using another method. He's making the little princess dislike him more and more.

"Really? Didn't big brother follow her to her parents' house?"

"Yep. So now her parents are starting to dislike him."

"Oh! I just realised! Big brother, are you doing this so that she won't marry you, and you won't have to be the successor?" I didn't reply.

"Oh, and the candidates for department manager in the company's branch in South America have been decided." Yamato said.

"Bro, when did you start getting so concerned about the company's affairs?"

"Well, one of the candidates is the little princess's adoptive father. Tachikawa Keisuke (Just realised that this is the right order for names). He doesn't look like he has the ability, but Emp. decides these things, and no one can change his decision. Like how we were sent here to be trained. No one ever asked if we wanted it or not. I still remember the first time we saw Emp., Hikari cried."

"I didn't cry!"

"The only one who responded calmly was Taichi (A/N : Crest of Courage, though he was fuming inside due to Hikari crying). He also dares to go against Emp.'s decision. I think that even at that time, Emp. had already decided who would be his successor."

"I have to go for a meeting." I said, standing up.

"Tai, don't overwork yourself." I nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"I have to go." I stood up, "I have a date."

**Mimi's POV**

I was wearing a flowy, purple silk nightgown. My phone vibrated, and I found it next to the alarm for security. I answered.

"Meems, it's Yolei. My dad and I just reached the airport."

"Where are you going? Are you going abroad for some fun trip or something?"

"Are you kidding me? What are you talking about? I'm sending your mom and dad off the Brazil. The plane leaves at 11 p.m. You didn't know?"

The phone suddenly went dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The end!  
Do you guys think that 104 chapters is a bit too much for a story? If each chapter is about this long? If it's too much, I'll try to cut down on content.  
Please tell me by reviewing.  
Oh, and is Yamato too out of character? I tried to make him seem like he values Taichi's friendship and yet likes to tease him.  
And don't worry! Sora will be in this story, and it'll be a Sorato.  
Oh, and Emp. calls Mimi 'Mizuki' behind her back.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11!

I do not own Digimon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage_ – Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance

**Mimi's POV**

I dialed Yolei's number. No one picked up. I dialed my dad's number. _Dad, answer the phone, quickly! _Still, no one picked up. _This won't do. I have to go to the airport and get this issue clarified._

I marched out quickly, heading towards the entrance, my shoes hitting the marble floor, hard. A few of the security guards tried to stop me, saying, "Miss Takuya, you can't go.", but I pushed pass them and continued. The security guards were calling out, "Miss Takuya, Miss Takuya.", but I ignored them. Then, I stopped. There were security guards all around me, and Head Manager Gennai was in-front of me.

"I want to go to the airport."

"Miss Takuya. It's late. Please return to your room to rest."

"You know it! I know you do!"

"Gennai does not know what Miss Takuya is referring to."

"I want to see them. You can't send my parents off like that."

Instead of moving aside to let me through, the security guards formed a line behind Gennai, right in-front of the house doors. I ran to the left, and pushed the vase of flowers off the table.

"Save the vase!" Head Manager Gennai shouted. A security guard managed to catch it.

I ran towards where I spotted a table lamp, grabbed it, and threw it.

"That side!" Head Manager Gennai shouted, pointing to where the lamp was currently falling. A few guards went to catch it, lying on their backs inorder to ensure that they would catch it. Seeing my chance, I ran out of the house. Head Manager Gennai and the security guards were behind me.

"Miss Takuya! Don't run! I'm begging you, don't run!" Head Manager Gennai shouted over and over again.

Suddenly, I saw a car, coloured dark blue with an orange star painted on it, pass by me, then swerve to a stop behind me. Head Manager Gennai and the security guards stopped behind it. Then, Taichi got out of the car, wearing a white button up shirt, a black business jacket, a black bowtie, black trousers, and looking dashing. _Like a prince_, I couldn't help thinking. He looked at me, confused, and… worried? I ran towards him.

"Please, may I ask if you can send me to the airport?"

"What's happening?"

"Grandpa's sending my parents off to Brazil. How can he do this? I already agreed to live here! How can he send them away? Please, I'm begging you, send me to the airport. Please? I'm begging you."

"Your going to the airport doesn't change a thing. What Emp. decides, no one can change."

"I don't care! Could you just send me there? Please? If you don't, I'll just run all the way there. If anyone stops me, I'll not hold back on them. Please, I'm begging you."

He ran his fingers through his hair, then said, "Fine. I'll send you there."

Head Manager Gennai shouted, "Master Yagami!"

Taichi then turned towards him, saying, "Then would you rather she faint from exhaustion instead?" Head Manager Gennai looked around, not knowing what to say. "I'm fine with it, but you'll be responsible for anything that happens to her. Remember to not let any blood get onto my car." Head Manager Gennai gave no response. "I'll give Emp. an explanation." Taichi said, then turned towards me and told me to get into the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Hikari's POV**

I saw my brother look at Mimi - _or am I supposed to call her Mizuki?_ - worriedly as she got into the car. And as they drove off, I couldn't help but smile goofily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

I looked back towards the mansion. Emp. was looking through the curtains.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_Mommy, Daddy, you must wait for me! Don't abandon me._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yolei's POV**

Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa were going to board. I had to stop them for Mimi. Somehow or another. "Auntie, Uncle, please just board the next flight. Mimi should be here soon."

"We promised Head Manager Gennai that we'll contact her when we reach Brazil."

I sighed, resigned. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that you would do this to Mimi. I mean, I'm sorry. You guys must have your difficulties."

"Only that I screw up. Who knows when we'll be able to see Mimi."

"Daddy, don't talk like that. Talk like that, and we'll soon be crying."

"I really can't stand abandoning Mimi though."

"Me too. Such a nice family, now broken."

"Yolei, please take care of Mimi for us. We have to go." They weakly waved 'bye', then turned to leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I ran into the airport, but I couldn't see my parents anywhere. Panicking, I dialed Yolei's number. To my relief, she answered.

"Yolei, where's my mom and dad?"

"They've already passed the entrance to the Departures area."

I snapped my phone shut, then ran to the glass wall surrounding the Departures area (whatever it's called), only to see my mom and dad climbing the stairs.

"Mommy! Daddy!" I shouted, hitting the glass wall with my fists to try and get their attention. "Turn around, Mommy, Daddy!" _Why didn't you guys wait for me? Just a while more, just a while more! _I sobbed, then decided that I have to be strong. I turned around to see Taichi, then marched towards him. "I must tell him, that rigid, bald grandfather that I want to leave."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I didn't know what to say to her throughout the trip. _Where was Yamato and his way of understanding girls when you need him?_ I was quite impressed by the way she decided not to just be depressed but to stand up for herself. I stopped the car.

"Don't mind me! Continue driving! I have to negotiate with that rigid, bald grandfather!"

_Rigid, bald grandfather. Good one._ I didn't want to discourage her, but I had to warn her. "Believe me. To negotiate with Emp., you must be clear-headed. If you want to cry, just cry enough, then go back. She leaned towards me, crying on my shoulder. It felt familiar to feel her head there, somehow.

"How could he do this to me? They're my mom and dad!" We remained in this position for a few hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I marched towards grandpa's room. However, before I could enter, Head Manager Gennai stopped me.

"Miss Takuya, may I speak to you calmly for awhile? It's already late. You can say what you want to say tomorrow."

"Don't you dare block me. I must talk to him today."

"Miss Takuya…" Head Manager Gennai began, blocking my way.

"Let her come in." Grandpa said.

"Yes, please." Head Manager Gennai said, stepping aside to let me in.

"I have already agreed to live here. Why did you still send my mom and dad to Brazil?"

"It was their own decision."

"I don't believe you. You must have forced them to go. Otherwise, they wouldn't go to somewhere so far. You just want to break us up, don't you?" He stood up.

"Ever since you entered the Takuya family, you are already in a different world from Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa. In this world, your only blood relation is me. Not them. Now that Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa have gone to Brazil, they'll have an interpreter at their side, servants, and even their own house. I've already arranged it all. To them, it's like they have already entered the upper-class society. This is grandfather's way of repaying them for bringing you up. Of course, grandfather also did it because I couldn't stand to feel sad because of this relationship."

"I completely cannot accept your reasons. I'm really foolish. I thought that I could withstand being a Takuya family child. I had never imagined that it would be this bad. Seems like you still don't understand. Those who have blood relations aren't the only ones who are called 'family'! They are also my family, do you understand? You're just a stranger who shares the same bloodline as me! Do you understand, grandfather?" I turned and walked away.

I changed back into my ordinary home clothes, and started packing my things. _I was so foolish! To think that I thought that an old man with no family members around him was pitiful. He's not pitiful at all! He can just do whatever he wants to do, being rich and all. Not caring about other people's feelings. What's the use of having a big house, of having so much money? He doesn't have anything other than money! I don't want to stay in this place anymore! _I walked down the corridor, fuming. Then I felt like there were people watching me. However, when I looked back, no one was there. _Security guards. _I continued walking. Then I felt it again. I stopped, sighing. "Stop following me, okay?" Then I continued walking again, until I spotted a security camera above me."I know that you can see me. Let me tell you. That isn't my room, and this isn't my house, and it will never be! Let me leave! Let me leave!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

"Emp., do you want me to lead her back to her room?" He was looking at the live feed from the security camera.

"Let her go."

"Emp."

"I said let her go!"

"Yes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

She was walking out of the mansion. However, instead of feeling happy, I was feeling sad. And I didn't know why.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

It was raining heavily. I flagged a taxi, threw my luggage into the trunk, then got in.

"Young lady, where are you going?" I didn't reply.

"Young lady?"

"The lake."

"Okay."

I looked out the window, staring at the scenery. Until I looked at the meter. I gasped.

"Young lady, did you bring any money with you?"

"I only have 272 yen. Is that enough?"

I got kicked out of the taxi, along with my luggage. I walked, soaked, till I reached the house grandfather loaned my parents. _I have no home. I have nothing. Mom, dad, how could you leave me here? Such a nice, expensive house, but without any family, what use is it? _I started to sob, squatting on the ground.

"When a girl cries, she'll look ugly. Wipe your tears away."

I looked at him. Taichi. He was holding out a handkerchief. Then I said, "How I look when I cry is none of your concern. It's all you guys' fault. Is being rich that good? Just by being rich, you can just say that one's family members aren't their family members, just by being rich, one can just send another's family members away! Are you happy now? I don't have anything. Go away. I don't want to see you, your family, or anyone right now." I heard his footsteps, slow and heavy, slowly walking away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I wasn't really walking away. I was just walking in circles behind her, making each footstep seem slightly softer than the last to make her think so.

"You're just giving up like that?" She shouted at me. My back was towards her. Hearing no response from me, she then proceeded to fake cry. It was amusing. _How cute. _Finally, she decided to stop. "Just lend me your shoulder, won't you?" I smiled goofily, then turned towards her, trying to seem emotionless, walked towards her, then patted my shoulder. She cried on my shoulder, as I patted her back gently.

In the end, she ended up in my business jacket, sleeping on my shoulder.

_How did it end up like this? I was supposed to make her hate me. And now, I'm here, feeding the mosquitoes with her. Am I… I shouldn't think about it. Forget it, Taichi._

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Review, please. :D  
You know, criticism is accepted. It helps to improve the story. Please?


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter 12.

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage_ – Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 12  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

We stayed in that position till daybreak. _She sleeps so soundly. Mimi, I kind of like being in this position. If I wasn't Yagami Taichi, and you weren't Takuya Family Company's only heir, it would be good._ Suddenly, she stirred, then sat up. I removed my hand from around her shoulders.

She looked at me sleepily, then asked, "What were you thinking about?"

"Did you know what I was thinking about? Again?"

She shrugged, then gazed sleepily around her. "You didn't bring any money with you?"

"Not even a single yen."

"You didn't think about this before you went out?"

"No."

"Then you should go back." I gestured to the house. "Didn't you loan money from Emp. to buy this house? It isn't yours now."

"I don't care. I don't want to see him anymore. I'll just go step by step, and figure out what to do."

I sighed. "Emp. doesn't have any evil intentions."

She stood up quickly, agitated. "He sent my parents to Brazil, and you say that he has no evil intentions? He simply has no humanity, that scary old man."

"He only wants you by his side. After all, he spent so much time looking for you."

"You don't have to speak on his behalf. Anyway, I won't be going back."

"I'm afraid that you won't have a choice."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Suddenly, motorcycles and a black limousine came into my sight. Then they stopped, and Head Manager Gennai got out from the limousine.

"Master Yagami, Miss Takuya. If you've rested enough, we'll sent you back home."

"You betrayed me!" I shouted at Taichi.

"First of all, I don't think that you'll be able to survive on your own. Also, Emp.'s your grandfather, and it's perfectly justifiable to help him look for you. So, I have not betrayed you."

"Miss Takuya, don't blame Master Yagami. It's unrelated to Master Yagami. We came looking for you on our own accord."

"I'll go drive back. Deal with the matters here."

"Yes, Master Yagami."

Taichi walked off, leaving his business jacket with me.

"Hey, you're walking off like that? We were fine a moment ago!"

"Miss Takuya, please get into the car."

"I'm not going back with you, unless I'm forced to."

"Since Miss Takuya has requested for it to be like this, I'll act accordingly." He gestured to a security guard. Next, I was lifted over his shoulder, screaming for them to let me go, and then I hit my head on the limousine door, and everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was looking from a distance, feeling guilty, and strangely, angry. The vehicles drove off. _Mimi, I'm sorry. It's best for you to go back, though. Even though I understand why you don't want to be there. I'm sorry._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

When I opened my eyes, I was in my room at the mansion. My hair was tied up in two ponytails, and I was wearing a white nightgown. _Someone must have changed my clothes and tied up my hair for me. Sigh. In the end, I'm back here again._ I rubbed my head. "The pain's killing me."

"Miss Takuya, you're awake. Would you like to eat or drink anything?"

"I don't want to eat anything."

"Miss Takuya, if you don't want to eat, would you like to drink a cup of tea?"

"I don't want to talk to you. You're a liar too."

"Okay. I'll just leave the food on the dining table outside." He held up some keys. "Mr. Tachikawa also passed me the house keys. He wanted you to have it. I'll leave it here. Thank you Miss Takuya." He stood up and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"Gennai. How's Mizuki?"

"Miss Takuya still won't eat or drink."

"Arrange for a medical team immediately. Tell them to wait outside her room. If necessary, inject her with a nutrition shot."

"Yes." Gennai turned around, only to be faced with Taichi, greeted him, then left.

"Emp., you called me?"

"Taichi. Where have I went wrong? Mizuki is my only granddaughter, my only family member. Was just asking her to stay by my side wrong? What did she mean by other people without the same bloodline still being family? Luckily, I sent that couple away."

"Emp., how can I help you?"

"Treat her better. Now, she keeps blaming me. It's all that couple's fault. So don't add fuel to the fire."

"Emp., I…"

"You're still denying it? I don't know what you're thinking. Do not oppose me. It won't lead to a good outcome."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was kicking the soccer ball around in the mansion's soccer field when I spotted Hikari sitting on the bleachers, watching me. I went to sit next to her.

"Big brother, I saw it."

"Saw what?"

"I saw you whisking Mimi off to the airport." I looked away.

"I just ran into her. What else did you think I could do in that situation? Don't read too much into it."

"However, I also heard that Mimi and Emp. had a huge fight. Then, after she left home, you left hurriedly to look for her. I also heard that you guys spent a whole night outside the house that Emp. loaned her." She leaned closer to me. "Big brother, are you thinking of accepting Emp.'s arrangement of marrying Mimi then becoming the successor?"

I snorted, not looking at her in the eyes, then said, "You're reading too much into it. I can't possibly like her."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I had just received Daddy's sms. In it was a video. In it, Daddy said that he left for Brazil on his own accord. To prove himself. _So grandpa really didn't force him and Mommy to go._ Daddy also said that he would work hard, and after five years, come back and demand grandpa to give me back to them. I smiled a small smile, feeling happier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"Emp., good news. Miss Takuya has started eating and drinking again."

"That child has started to eat and drink?" I smiled.

"Yes. Then Emp., you…" My stomach growled. "Okay, I get it. I'll get the kitchen to prepare the food." He left.

_It's harder to refrain from getting hungry at this age. Just skipping two meals has made me dizzy. If she hadn't thought it through, then I would be miserable._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I sat outside, enjoying the cool breeze. _Five years to make 15,000,000 yen. How do I make enough to pay it all back? 3,000,000 yen in one year. That means I have to earn 250,000 yen in one month. This is too difficult. However, I signed a contract with grandpa. I must pay back the loan. Then I can get my parents to come back, then our family will be reunited. However, how do I earn the money?_ I looked at the bridge nearby to see Head Manager Gennai sending someone off.

"Head Manager Gennai, who's that man?"

"He's Emp.'s foot masseur."

"How much is he paid?"

"55,000 yen for a one hour session. In a week Emp. is massaged three times. In a month, twelve times, monthly."

"So that means he earns 660,000 yen per month."

That gave me an idea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

"Gennai!" I walked towards him. "What's happening? Did the kitchen go on strike?"

I was about to explain, when Miss Takuya walked through the door, holding out the plate of fried rice that she had cooked.

"Delicious!" Emp. proclaimed, after he had taken a bite. (A/N: Mimi is a good cook, after all).

Then Miss Takuya handed him a piece of paper. "What is this?"

"It's the bill. One plate of the fried rice that you ate costs 27,500 yen."

"I have to pay for this?"

"Well, of course. From today onwards, I want to work here. And that's my price list. Though it's more expensive than market price, it's not much of a difference. Your foot masseur is paid 55,000 yen for a one hour session…"

"Gennai, give her 27,500 yen."

I paid her, then with a word of 'thanks', she left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_See? I can depend on myself to earn money. When I've earned enough, I'll leave. Just wait and see.  
_

**Gennai's POV**

"Gennai, do you know what she's thinking off?"

I nodded. "Just make sure that she can't find a job here." He gave a short chuckle. "27,500 yen."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

The next morning, I was dressed in the maids' uniform. I walked in-front of a maid who was wiping the tables.

"Morning."

"Morning. Are you new here?"

"Yes. I'm called Mimi."

"Oh, I'm called Mayumi."

"You're cleaning? I'll help you." I reached down and took a cloth. As I was walking towards the window, I felt someone grab my leg. And there was Mayumi, pleading, "Miss Takuya! I beg of you, don't do this to me! I have an 80 year old mother, three cats who were just weaned, and 137,500 yen to pay off of my credit card debt. I cannot lose this job."

"I'm just cleaning!"

"No! Miss Takuya! Take pity on me! I have not graduated from high school, have no skill and no proficiency! The most I can do is clean!"

"Okay, okay. Stop crying. I'll let you clean, I'll just go and do something else."

"Thank you!" She stood up, then started cleaning the corridors at a very fast speed.

The same thing happened when I tried to clean the fountain. And it happened when I tried to be a gardener. And the gardener who begged me was my old neighbor.

I walked around the garden. _If I work in the Takuya family's mansion, I'll cause others to lose their jobs. Sigh. What do I do?_

(Later that night)

I was sitting in the bathtub, foam all around me. _If this continues, it'll take me 50 years. And even then, I don't think I'll be able to earn that 15,000,000 yen. I thought that working here would be a good idea. In the end… how am I going to earn money? Working outside will be very difficult too. Sigh. And there's no one to discuss this with too. Don't tell me that I'll have to go to him for help. Forget it. He'll probably not help me. His personality… it seems to keep changing. Everytime I think he's a good person, he seems to change into another person. That person seems to have a split personality. _

I stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a nightgown with my hair tied up in two loose ponytails, and my fringe pinned up. I saw a young man sleeping on my bed. Panicking, I hit the alarm for security.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

We – Takeru, Tai, and I – were in Emp.'s room. Emp., Mimi and Head Manager Gennai were in-front of us.

"Grandpa, I have nothing against Takeru. Sorry Takeru, I didn't know that it was you. However, I don't want to leave in such a place in which anyone can just enter my room. I want to leave. Grandpa, you don't have any protests, do you?"

"Teeks, what were you doing?" I whispered.

"I was just waiting for Mimi to finish her bath, then introduce myself, but she took so long that I fell asleep."

"Don't worry. I'll tell the security guards to strengthen the patrol." Emp. then pointed to Tai, saying, "Taichi, starting tonight, move into the room opposite Mimi's room."

"I have to move there?"

"That's right! You're in-charge of Mimi's safety. You're her bodyguard now, and you're in-charge of her attending classes."

"Attend classes? What classes?" Mimi asked.

"A lot of classes. Cooking, Dancing, Global Interests (Is there anything like that?), Etiquette, for example. I'll be holding a ball to introduce you soon. You won't disgrace me if you already learnt all those different skills." He chuckled, then turned his attention back to Taichi. "Taichi, it's your responsibility. Even though this is an order that you cannot refuse, I still want to thank you."

Emp. and Head Manager Gennai then left the room. Taichi looked around, imploring us to help him. Then he ran his fingers through his hair and said, "Emp.'s command… seems very difficult to accomplish."

"You can refuse." She seemed angry for some reason.

"Didn't you hear Emp. say 'This is an order that you cannot refuse'?"

"Really? It doesn't look like you're someone who obeys others' orders." She marched up angrily towards Taichi.

"I'll wait for your mood to be better, then talk to you again." Taichi said, looking at her.

"Who would want to talk to someone like you with such a mean, vulgar personality?"

"Mean and vulgar?" He looked offended. "I admit that I have been treating you badly on purpose, but never go so far as to… I got it. It's because you are still feeling sour about what happened that day when you were unable to escape. I'll formally apologise to you now."

"Apologising doesn't always work!" She held up a vase, then threw it at Taichi. Taichi dodged before it could hit him. It shattered on the ground. Taichi stormed out of the room.

Now isn't a good time to introduce myself. I pulled Takeru out of the room. _Lovebirds._

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****


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Thanks to **Evil-Chibi-Tiffy **for adding my story, _Steps to Romance_ to her favourite stories list, story alerts, and me to her favourite authors list, and author alert. Her reviews and messages really make my day, and encourage me to keep on writing this story! Thank you! (:

Thanks to for adding my story, _Home Again_, to her favourite list.

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 13

**Mimi's POV**I picked up the glass pieces. _Rich men are all abnormal. Willful, loves to bully others, moody, and sinister, completely an idiot!  
_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**_She really dislikes me, just as I hoped. _It hurt though.

**Mimi's POV**_I have to pay off that 15,000,000 yen, and draw a clear line between me and the Takuya family. Then I'll go to Brazil and look for my parents, and never stay here again!_(The next morning)

_How infuriating. Grandpa really let that person move across from my room. He spent the whole night moving his things, and because of the noise, I was unable to sleep. _I looked at the door to his room. It was slightly open, so I decided to enter. I walked in, and saw a table. On it were several pieces of table, messily spread across the table. I picked one of them up. 'Yagami Taichi' was printed on it. _So this is how your name is written. It looks nice. I shouldn't compliment someone like him though. _I picked up some more pieces of paper. _Job information for a soccer player and a lawyer. Tenant information. Does he own money like me?_"Hey! You're in the wrong room." Taichi appeared, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He had a great body. It was distracting. I felt my face growing hot.

"Oh, sorry. I wanted to come and apologise to you. I was feeling a little agitated yesterday, so my reasons were justified. However, I still want to tell you that I'm sorry." He shuffled around some of the papers, then shoved them into a drawer. "Don't be angry!"

"Did your poor upbringing ever teach you to not touch other people's things?" He walked into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. I waited outside the door. "I was just curious."

The bathroom door opened. He came out, fully dressed. "Curiosity? Okay. The next time that I'm curious, I'll go to your room, and look through your things. You mustn't throw anything at me then."

"Well… why do you have so much work information anyway? It isn't to find a job, is it?" He looked away.

"It's none of your business."

"Why are you being like this? I'm just asking you. I'm also looking for a job, and you know that I own grandpa 15,000,000 yen."

"I'm not in the mood to talk about these things now." He walked off.

I followed him, saying, "That isn't right! You work in grandpa's company. Why are you looking for a job then?" His face turned slightly red, and he looked away. "Why do you look so flustered?"

"You're very long-winded, do you know that? You threw a vase at me yesterday, and today, in the early morning, you go into my room and look through my things. Do you have a mental illness? Go and see a psychologist."

"Oh! And you also had tenant information. I must have guessed correctly."

"You… what did you guess correctly?"

"You want to run away!" I pointed a finger at him.

"Shut up!" He pointed a finger at me.

"I guessed correctly! You want to run away, just like me, am I right? I've finally seen you being nervous. To think that you actually have some humanity." He raised his finger to point at me again. "So, what do you have to say? Don't fly into a rage out of humiliation. Say it quickly!" I nudged him with my shoulder.

"Sorry to disturb the both of you."

"Do you need anything from me?" Taichi asked.

"Not you. The little princess."

"Looking for me?"

He nodded. "Mimi, morning. My name is Ishida Yamato. I'm Tai's best friend, Takeru's older brother, and one of the Takuya Family's Four Gems. I didn't have a chance to introduce myself to you previously. Sorry about that." On his finger was a ring, bearing the crest of Friendship. It was a circle which joined into two sharp spikes on the left and right of it, and within it was something like the yin and yang symbol, except without the two circles within it.

"It's alright. Hello. What do you need from me?"

"You have been with the Takuya family for awhile already. It must be boring. I haven't had the chance to have a nice chit-chat with you. Today's weather happens to be good, so I would like to bring you for a ride to relax." He looked at Taichi, then back at me. "Or would you rather stay with Tai and learn how to play soccer or waltz (it's one of her classes)?"

"No thanks. To waltz in high-heeled shoes would be torturous."

"Good. Then, Tai, I'll borrow your fiancé for awhile." He put his arm around my shoulders.

I moved away from him, accidentally knocking into Taichi. "I'm not his fiancé, so don't say things like that."

"I was just joking."

"If you two want to go out, just enjoy yourselves. However, I still have things to say to Mimi, so Yamato, please leave first."

"Okay. I'll give you two lovebirds some time. Mimi, I'll wait for you at the entrance. Bye." He walked away.

"The cost to keep your mouth sealed, 3,000,000 yen."

"Why would I want your money?"

"Aren't you planning to pay off your debt then leave the Takuya family?"

"You little snob. Yes, I need the money, but I want to depend on myself to earn it. You're insulting me." I walked off.

Later, I was in Yamato's car, a sports car, painted a cool ice blue. _Gives me one million, wants me to leave. Saw me looking at the job and tenant information, wants me to leave. Could it be that he's secretly executing a 'Leave the Takuya family' plan? However, why? I can't tell what he's discontented with the Takuya family._

"If you need anything, feel free to contact me. You're like a little sister to me. Whatever you need, ask, and I'll get it done."

"Thank you."

_He seems so different from Taichi. It really feels like having a big brother. I feel really at ease._Yamato brought me to my old school, explaining that he thought that I would be feeling homesick.

"Hey, you're really special, you know? The first time you bring a girl out, you bring her to her old school."

"Well, that's what I do to other girls too. See, now you're less wary of me."

"The Takuya family's thinking really is different from others."

"Was that a compliment?"

"Yes."

After that, he brought me to a funfair. We played games, and took neo-prints, then now, the beach. It was fun.

"The photos we took look really funny."

"Yes, you really have a lot of poses."

"Yamato, I really have to thank you. This is the first time I have felt so relaxed ever since I entered the Takuya family."

"Don't be so anxious to thank me yet. There's still another place to go to."

We arrived outside a homely café. He offered me his hand as I got out of the car. I took it.

"I thought that you would bring to somewhere more expensive and famous to dine at."

"Expensive and famous restaurants don't necessarily mean that the food is delicious. It depends on your tastebuds."

I paused. "You three, Taichi, Takeru, and you, are really different."

"Really? Tell me how we're different."

"Takeru, though I didn't really speak to him, gives me a feeling that he's a very hopeful, pure person, as if he has been protected very well. You give me the feeling like you're a big brother, like you know how to take care of others very well. You're a very attentive person, and you understand what's good. As for Taichi, I'm really angry at him. I feel that he's extremely arrogant, and he quarrels with me everyday."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**_Taichi's still trying to make her dislike him? This isn't good for him or for her. I have to get them closer, somehow._"I know how you can punish Tai."

"What is it?"

"Get engaged with him." She stared at me. "Well, it's because Tai doesn't want to become Emp.'s successor. In fact, all four of us, Tai, Takeru, Hikari, and I, don't want to be Emp.'s successor. However, the man you marry must become the successor. So if Tai's forced into an engagement with you, he'll definitely rebel. Among the four of us, Tai's the one who dares to oppose Emp. the most. So, this way, Emp. will know that his dictatorship will actually cause opposition, and on the other hand, this will give Tai a hard time. Tai has suppressed his emotions from young. I really want to see how Emp. and Tai face off against each other. The price, 15,000,000 yen. Then you can settle your debt with Emp. too. Actually, just treat it as I'm asking you to do a job for me, okay?"

_I didn't know why I was doing this. However, I believed that it would somehow, help Tai and Mimi. Please, I prayed._~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_  
_**Mimi's POV**"Mimi, what's the matter? Such a serious look on your face. Did someone bully you?"

"Grandpa, I… I have something to say to you."

"Say it. Grandpa will help you to accomplish it."

"I… I like Yagami Tachi."

Grandpa looked elated. "Gennai, I didn't hear wrongly, did I?"

"Emp., you didn't."

"Then, since you two like each other, the engagement's on!" I nodded.

"Grandpa knows that Tai will be good for you, he'll treasure you like how grandpa treasures you. I can hand you over to my most trusted successor, grandpa is so happy! Now, I can raise my head high and meet your parents in heaven! Gennai, Mimi's engagement party has to be grand! Go and inform them to start organizing it. The feast, attire, they all have to be according to the Takuya family's specification! And the guest list…"  
_  
_"Emp. I think Miss Takuya has something to say."

"I just wanted to say that… you guys are already planning it so quickly, shouldn't Tai be notified? Maybe he'll refuse…"

"Mimi, don't worry. How could he refuse? You're the cutest and most beautiful girl in the world and I'm handing him my most precious treasure! He'll be overjoyed! So Mimi, don't worry, grandpa will arrange it all. Just concentrate on being the happiest, most beautiful bride."

"Oh. Okay."

Grandpa then started telling Gennai about the plans for Taichi and my engagement party. _I said that I liked Taichi. Grandpa is so happy about it, planning it right away. If he finds out that this is a lie, that it's just Yamato and my plan, will he be alright? However, all I can do now is to continue with this plan. _"Grandpa…"

"Yes?"

"This 7,500,000 yen…" I held out a check to him.

"Where did it come from?"

"I can't tell you that. I earned it though, I didn't steal it."

"I won't ask about where the money came from. However, since you and Taichi are engaged, the debt is cleared. You can keep the money for yourself."

"No way."

"Don't tell me that after you and Taichi are engaged, you want to move out from the Takuya family mansion?"

"I... I just don't like owing people money. I'm buying that house for my parents, and I don't want to break the contract we have."

"Good child, you have good principles. Since it's like this, grandpa will accept the money."

I handed him the check. "Then, grandpa, if there's nothing else, I'll be going." I left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**Emp. looked at the check. "Emp. should I investigate this?"

"No need. It's certainly just those children's plans. Let them play. We'll wait and see." He chuckled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Takeru's POV**I knocked on Mimi's door. No one answered. I stopped a passing maid, and asked, "Do you know whether Mimi or anyone else is in there?"

"Miss Takuya just finished swimming. She should be in the sauna now."

**Mimi's POV**I was in the sauna, wearing a long, waterproof light pink tube dress. It was the outfit allowed in the sauna. _I should really tell grandpa. Forget it. Anyway, I already decided earlier that after I pay the 15,000,000 yen, then I'll get out of here. Now, I'll just wait and see how Taichi reacts. I think he'll be stomping in rage. _For some reason, that idea didn't give me any satisfaction. _After all, he dislikes me. Speaking of this, serves him right. I shouldn't worry so much. What I'm doing is right. Wow, it's hot. I'll exit first for a breath of fresh air. _I stood up. Suddenly, everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Takeru's POV**"Mimi? Mimi, are you in there?" No response. I tried again. "I know you're in there. It's fine if you don't want to come out. I apologise for that day. I didn't mean to scare you. Really, you must believe me. I'm sorry." Still no response. "Mimi, are you alright?"

I opened the door to the sauna, and saw Mimi lying on the ground, unconscious. I ran out to find help, and ran into Taichi.

"Tai! Mimi has fainted!" I told him, and we sprinted towards where Mimi was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Did you guys notice that where Yamato brought Mimi would better suit Sora? (:


	14. Chapter Fourteen

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 14  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"You two young masters, don't worry. Miss Takuya's condition is extremely stable as long as she can keep breathing unimpeded, and rests well for awhile.

"Thank you, doctor." The doctor left, and I turned to Takeru.

"Teeks, go and see the doctor out."

"What about Mimi?"

"I'll look after her."

"Help me tell her that I'm sorry." I patted him on the back, then he left. I walked towards Mimi. She was lying on the bed, eyes still closed. I sat down next to her on the bed, each hand on either side of her. Then, I lifted my right hand, about to touch her forehead when I realised what I was doing, and stopped. _What am I doing? Why am I so worried and nervous? She only fainted. Fortunately she's alright._

She slowly opened her eyes. "You're finally awake. Luckily, you're alright."

"How did I get here? I was just in the sauna, then I was about to go out to get some fresh air, and then I lost consciousness." She looked down. "My clothes!"

"Don't worry. I got a maid to change your clothes for you. I think you spent too long in the sauna, and passed out." She nodded. "Takeru told me to tell you that he's sorry."

"About that incident? Poor guy. Tell him that I forgive him, and that I'm sorry too."

"Oh, and tomorrow's the start of Takuya University's (Can't think of any other name! :x) new term. The class schedule already came out. I put it on your table. Oh, and I cancelled tonight's etiquette class, so have a good rest."

"Are you being so good to me because I fainted?"

"You're a very straight-forward (or should it be 'direct'?) person, so I'll be straight-forward with you too. I'll go back to being mean to you tomorrow."

_This fellow really has a super defensive mind. Would it kill him to admit that he wants to treat me well? I should tell you about our engagement, and see what your reaction is. _"I told grandpa that… I like you." He didn't answer. "So… he wants both of us to be engaged."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I didn't know how to react. I felt… happy when she said that she liked me, but this would… I looked at the side table. Then I froze. There was a neo-print photo on it, showing Mimi and Yamato posing for the camera. _Yamato._

I stood up. I felt unexpectedly calm. "You're not really thinking of marrying me. You know that I want to leave the Takuya family, so you intentionally asked for us to be engaged, didn't you? You knew that I wouldn't be able to escape this way. You want to punish me. Have I got it right?"

She frown, then sat up. "That's right. You said it correctly. I dislike you. I want to punish you."

"Great counter-attack. You won."

"Since it's like this, just go to grandpa and protest! Grandpa and Head Manager Gennai are already making the guest list."

"I'll pay money. Is 15,000,000 yen enough? I'm begging you to go and tell Emp. to cancel the engagement, okay? I know that I did things that made you angry, and I'm willing to apologise to you for that."

"Why must I be the one to say it? I can't go back on a promise. Besides, I've already told grandpa, and if I tell him that I want to cancel the engagement, he won't agree. You know how grandpa is like. I told him that I want to be engaged to you, then tell him that I don't want to be engaged to you, how will he love me again? He won't agree to it too. He'll be offended. I don't dare to think what he would do, will he send my parents to the North Pole this time?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV  
**  
_Also, I've already accepted the money from Yamato, and given it to grandpa. Now there's no way._

"I don't know what you have done secretly, but believe me. In the end, the unfortunate one will be you. Think about it. Before it gets worse, go to Emp. and cancel the engagement." He stormed out of the room.

_Oh no. Looks like I acted too impulsively. I didn't think of the consequences before agreeing. Based on grandpa's personality, when time comes, even if I have the 15,000,000 yen, he still won't let me go. Taichi's also weird. He knew that I was punishing him, yet he wasn't angry. According to the plan, he should have flew into a rage and gone to grandpa to cancel the engagement. What is he thinking? _I had an idea of what he was thinking, but I didn't want to think about it. _What am I thinking of doing? Thinking about it now, he hasn't been that bad to me. What was I thinking, to accept Yamato's money in order to punish Taichi? Now how can I continue this false marriage scam?  
_  
(The next day)

I was sleeping soundly went someone shouted 'Miss Takuya!' into my ear.

I sat up. "What is it?"

"Miss Takuya, today is the first day of school. Did you forget?"

"It's still early. I'm so tired. I spent the whole night thinking about something." I laid back down on my bed.

"Miss Takuya, Emp. has specifically ordered us to make sure that you become a fresh, cool, bright, and beautiful new student. Therefore, we have prepared the spa for you."

I didn't reply. Suddenly, I heard the snap of fingers, and several maids giving some kind of war cry as they charged towards me.

"What? I don't want to take off my clothes! I'll do it myself! Go away!"

I ended up in the hall, wearing a school uniform. It was made up of a long, sleeveless woolen shirt (purple with an argyle pattern covering the top one-third and was coloured grey and white), over a white dress shirt, grey tie, and left only 5 inches of the khaki-greyish coloured skirt to be able to be seen. Next, it was paired with black socks which only reached below the knees, followed by white school shoes. The two guys were wearing similar outfits, only that the woolen shirt was the length of an ordinary tee-shirt, and that they wore pants instead of a skirt. Yagami Hikari stood between Taichi and Takeru, wearing the a different uniform, which looked similar to Takeru's. _So Hikari and Takeru aren't attending Takuya University?_

"Look at our Mimi," grandpa said, "What a slim and graceful stance she has. Right, Gennai?"

"Yes!"

"Can anyone tell me why a university student still wears a uniform?"

"Miss Takuya, Takuya University is an outstanding, traditional school. Uniforms represent rigorous discipline. This is why Takuya University is capable of nurturing and training one's moral character, politics, and entrepreneurism."

Grandpa gestured at him to stop, then asked, "Mimi, you don't like the uniform? If you don't like it, Gennai, call the Headmaster and tell him to tell the students that they can wear what they want to school, starting from tomorrow."

"There's no need! I love the uniform, I was just wondering why. Who designed them, by the way?"

"The daughter of Takenouchi Haruhiko and Takenouchi Toshiko, Takenouchi Sora. They are an old family friend."

"Oh."

He walked up to Taichi, Yamato, Takeru, and Hikari. "The four of you need to look after Mimi, especially Taichi. Mimi's your fiancée, she's unfamiliar with the place. You must guide her well."

"Emp., did I hear wrongly? Who's Mimi's fiancé?" Hikari asked.

"I forgot to tell you guys that I've decided to let Mimi marry Taichi." Hikari looked overjoyed. "The only thing obstructing them now is their status as students, so I've decided to let them be engaged first. So now you know, Mimi is Taichi's fiancée."

"Congratulations, Tai. Mimi's a good girl, you must treat her well." Yamato told Taichi warmly.

"Taichi, I have already decided when Mimi and your engagement party should be. It'll be the 1st of the next month (I hope you don't mind, **Evil-Chibi-Tiffy**). I'll introduce Mimi, and then announce the engagement then. With both of these announcements, happiness descents on the house, a good omen. During this period of time, Mimi's Etiquette, Dance, and everything else, I'll let you supervise. Also, every day when leaving school, she must be in the same car as you, personally escorted by you, do you understand? Okay. Go and attend school." Emp. and Head Manager Gennai left.

"Mimi," Hikari went up to me, smiling warmly. "I'm Yagami Hikari, Taichi's little sister. I'm sorry that I didn't introduce myself earlier. I'm sure we'll be great friends though." I saw her necklace on her neck, with the crest of Light on it (I described it earlier, in chapter 1). Next, I looked at Takeru. I hadn't noticed before, but on his finger was a ring with the crest of Hope on it. It was something like a rectangle which slowly got wider nearer to its base, and then its base was wavy, and on top of the rectangle was a circle with 5 triangles surrounding it, and it looked the sun.

"Hello Hikari. I'm sure we'll be great friends too." I smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Hikari's POV**

"Big brother's acting kind of weird." I said, as I got into Takeru's car, painted yellow and green. "Before this, he did not like all of Emp.'s arrangements. However, when Emp. announced that he and Mimi were getting engaged, he didn't protest at all. Not that I'm not happy about it, but still."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I walked towards Taichi's car, not knowing if I should get in or not. Next, Takeru drove off with Hikari. I walked to Yamato's car. "Mimi, isn't Tai waiting for you in the car? Do you need something from me?"

"I was just thinking if we should call off the plans before things get worse."

"Why? Didn't you promise me? Are you trying to go back on your promise?"

"It's because…"

"It's fine. You can stop at anytime. I won't protest. As long as you give me back the deposit that I gave you. Then I'll treat it as if it never happened."

"You already know that I gave the money to grandpa."

"So? Taking the money and not doing what's promised? Isn't that unreasonable? Mimi, what happened when Tai took care of you yesterday, I already heard about some of it. I know that you're kind-hearted, but…"

He drove off. I got into Taichi's car, and we drove towards the school.

_Originally, I thought that as long as I pay grandpa the money I owe him, I'll be able to leave the Takuya family. That's why I promised to punish Taichi._ _However now, I find that he isn't so bad. To punish him like this makes me feel uneasy._

"Your complexion doesn't look good. Are you feeling uncomfortable? If you're feeling uncomfortable, don't force yourself to go to school."

"It's alright. My head doesn't hurt anymore." I looked at him, and managed a smile.

"That's good."

_Why are you pretending like nothing happened? Did you forget that you're engaged? _I looked at him. He looked at me, and gave me a small smile, slightly like his usual cocky smiles. I gave him a small smile, meaning it this time.

Finally, we reached the school. We got out of the car, only to be greeted by the school's Headmaster.

"The Takuya University is obviously, owned by the Takuya family. Some even call it the Takuya family's study room. Headmaster, I'm leaving her to you. Take her around to have a look around." Taichi said.

"Yes. Roll out the red carpet!"

"No need! There's no need to be so extravagant." I told them quickly, shocked. I was led into my classroom. Then, the students were told to stand. Then they gestured to a huge white, marble desk at the front of the classroom.

"This… this is my desk?"

"Yes. Do you want it to be bigger?"

"No, but isn't it a little too excessive?"

Apparently not. Apparently that had a juice mixer near for me, my own personal maid from the Takuya family, and a 5-star chef cooking my school meals for me. I tried getting them to be less formal towards me, and to call me 'Mimi' instead of 'Miss Takuya', but instead they ended up calling me 'Miss Mimi'. Sigh.

Later, when I got back home and changed, and then went to grandpa's room.

"You're back! How was the first day of school? Grandpa runs a pretty good school, no?"

"Pretty good? Really? Today, a classmate made fun of me, saying that I didn't study the topics before, and that the teacher was sucking up to me, and some security guards appeared and just carried him away!" And I remembered how the teacher said that he just 'requested for a break… family problems', followed by more mutterings about 'yes, he requested a break…'. "Aren't you guys being too over the top? Are you guys an underground gang or something?"

"Miss Takuya, we just gave him a verbal warning to ensure that he doesn't harm you."

"You also can't do it that way. I just want to make some friends at the school. If you guys do that, they'll treat me like the plague!"

"Mimi, do you really want to make friends?"

"Normal people need friends."

"Okay then. Grandpa understands. What happened today won't happen again. Just study well in school, and make some friends, okay?"

"Then, pinky swear! Whoever breaks the promise will be a pig!"

"Isn't that too childish?"

"It won't! If you promise me, then pinky swear."

"Grandpa has signed so many contracts, but never one like this. Okay, the one that breaks it…"

"Will be a pig!"

We pinky sweared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Do you think Taichi and Mimi have good chemistry? :x


	15. Chapter Fifteen

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 15  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

As I entered the classroom and was about to say 'Hello!' to everyone, they all scrambled to their seats. Thankfully, my table was like theirs today, with no maids, security guards, juice mixers, or five-star chefs in sight. I felt them staring at me several times, but when I looked back, they were all reading a book or studying.

_Oh gosh. It won't be strange if I go crazy, studying in such a weird school._

During break, I headed out of the classroom. There were a lot of students outside. I bowed, then said, "Please be friends with me!"

However, when I looked up, everyone was gone. _Sigh. Does being a rich person have to be so sad?_ In the toilet, as a female student came out of a cubicle, I turned towards her, ready to ask her to be my friend. Yes, I was that desperate. However, when she saw me, she screamed and ran out of the toilet. _Am I that frightening?_ _It's not like I'm going to eat them._ As I crossed a bridge, students scrambled past me. _Forget it. Just ignore them._ Suddenly, I saw a pair of hands holding a pink handkerchief in front of me. I looked up. Two girls were standing there. "If you don't mind, use it."

"May I?"

"Of course you may."

"Thank you." I smiled.

"Miss Takuya, we're your classmates, I'm Nonaka Rumiko, and she's Hata Seiko."

"Hello! I'm called Mi- Takuya Mizuki. You can just call me Mimi, or Meems."

"Mimi, you're so different from how we imagined you to be! We didn't expect you to be so kind, we expected you to be… that kind. You know, arrogant."

"Really? Everyone was ignoring me yesterday. I thought that I was doomed to be lonely for four years."

"If you don't mind, we'll be your friends."

"Really? That's great!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I saw Mimi holding a small, light pink paper bag while walking with two other girls. She saw me, then walked up to me. I smiled. She looked ecstatic.

"Mimi, are you getting used to things?"

"Definitely! At least the Headmaster didn't wait for me at the entrance and roll out a red carpet for me today." Then she realised that I was laughing hysterically. "And you're laughing! Taichi!"

"Eh, are they your classmates?" Behind her, they were acting a little suspiciously.

"Yep! We became friends today. She's called Rumiko, and she's called Seiko." Mimi said, as she happily gestured to them. She opened a small black box. In it were a pair of earrings. "Look, they gave me this pair of earrings as a gift. Aren't they pretty?"

I didn't answer her. I walked up to her two 'friends'. "Do you two have anything to request of the Takuya family?" They looked down, shaking their heads.

"Yagami Taichi! How could you be so impolite to my friends?" Mimi said, stepping between me and her two 'friends', "Apologise to them and me now!"

"You're learning how to waltz tonight. Don't be late." I walked away.

"You…!" I heard Mimi shout from behind me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Sorry. He must be in a bad mood today. That's why he was so rude to you."

"It's alright." Seiko said, "That's how Master Yagami is usually like when he sees us. He's always either with Yamato or alone. Though right now, I think they're in a fight. He doesn't talk much to his fellow soccer players though. He's the captain, and he's great at soccer. He also always gives people the feeling that he's very formidable and distant. I was so shocked when he talked to you! That's because he treated you so warmly! It's so different from his usual attitude! He was smiling too! He's so handsome! Mimi, you're really blessed. Even he is so tender and gentle with you."

"Really?" _So Taichi gives everyone else a bad impression. Also, he's alone, except when he's with Yamato. Does he have any other friends here?_

That night, I dreamt of Taichi and I waltzing together. Our faces always only inches apart, him lifting me up and twirling me around. Then we were looking into each other's eyes, and he was touching my face tenderly.

(The next day)  
It was very different from the dream. It was hard waltzing in heels, and I tripped, falling down hard. The pianist stopped playing, then went up to Taichi. "I'm sorry Master Yagami. I can't help her. A replacement would be better." He left.

Frustrated, I threw my shoe at where he was previously standing at. I looked away from Taichi, ashamed. I heard his footsteps. He was coming towards me. And he was laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, you're the first in the Takuya family to make the teacher fume and leave in anger."

I looked at him, shocked. "I'm not some rich young lady anyway. I'm just an ordinary girl. Asking me to wear such high heels to waltz. I'm telling you, I won't learn it, and I can't do it. I don't want to learn it anymore!"

"So a poor family's child has not much willpower to fight and persevere? Why are you giving up so easily?"

"Don't you dare use that method to try to convince me. I'm not that kind of pretty, pampered, spoilt girl that you might think I am. Waltz and all those things, I'll eventually learn it. I'll show you what a poor family's girl can do!"

He sighed, then came closer to me. Then he started putting my shoe on my foot. I looked away, heartbeat speeding up, smiling.

Finally, my shoe was back on my foot. Taichi stood up, and offered me his hand. "I'll lead you." I remembered my dream. I decided to grab his hand. He lifted me up, but then I almost fell. Thankfully, he caught me just in time. Our noses were touching. We stayed in that position for quite awhile, before I turned around, blushing. "You did that on purpose."

"You were the one that stumbled. It had nothing to do with me." I looked at him. He was smiling.

"If you could smile like that in school, it would be good. With your other sulky expression, no wonder you couldn't make any friends."

"Why are you suddenly saying that?"

"It's nothing. I just heard that you don't have any friends in school except for Yamato."

"Yes."

"Then how about outside? Other than Yamato, Hikari and Takeru?"

"None."

"Liar. How is that possible? You don't have any other friends? Even from young till now?"

He hesitated, then said, "Yes."

"Won't you be lonely then?"

"Sometimes, having friends is troublesome."

"Why? Did something happen between you and your friend?"

"Okay. Let's practice dancing." We started to dance. It felt so familiar to dance with Taichi. There was something on his mind though, and I was dwelling on our previous conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Takeru's POV**

"Mimi!" I saw her standing at the staircase to the entrance, wearing a sporty outfit and holding a tennis racket. "I heard that your friends are coming."

"Yep! They asked if they could play tennis here, so I invited them over." A limousine suddenly came in sight. "They're here!"

However, instead of them wearing sports gear, they emerged wearing high heels and party dresses. I saw Mimi's smile fade. "Mimi, are you sure they're here for tennis? Their outfits…"

"I don't know either. Maybe they brought clothes to change into?"

"Mimi!" They ran towards her, holding their long skirts up so that they could run. "When my parents heard that we were going to your house, they insisted on coming. Sorry!" Their parents emerged, greeted Mimi enthusiastically, and then gave her a huge present, which they called, 'a small gift'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was standing on the staircase in the main room, hidden from where Mimi was standing. She was looking at her 'friends' and their parents talk to Emp., looking confused and hurt.

"Mimi, didn't you say that your friends are here to play tennis, but how are they going to play when they're dressed like that?" Emp. asked.

"They can play like that!" One of their parents said nervously, then gestured at them to go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Mimi, let's go and play tennis!"

"Never mind. I don't feel like playing anymore. You guys go and have a nice chat with them. I'll be leaving." I walked until I reached an empty corridor. _What's so nice about chatting with grandpa? What did they come here to do, anyway? Or is it..._

"You're being used to help them meet Emp." I turned towards the direction of where the voice came from. It was Taichi.

For some reason, I felt like I had to justify their actions. "I… I don't think they did it intentionally. Grandpa just happened to be at home, and they just said 'hello' and talked to him out of courtesy…"

"Why are you lying to yourself? A lot of people only want to gain benefits from knowing the Takuya family." His face slowly inched closer to mine. I turned my face to the side, and his nose was close to my ear. "Just an inexpensive present, a pair of poor quality earrings, and you're so happy. Are you that easily decieved?" He whispered into my ear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

They left, whispering among themselves about things like, 'We might just ascend to upper-class society!'.

"Gennai, don't you think it's too cruel to Mizuki?"

"Of course. Miss Takuya just got into university, and her first friends just want to use her. It will definitely make her feel sad."

I sighed. "Just now, went I saw Mizuki walking away, it really hurt me. How I wish I could have taught those two couples and their daughters a lesson. However, when I think of doing that, I realise that it would make it harder for Mimi to make some friends in school."

"Yes. Miss Takuya just got into University. There will be people who want to use her, and find it easy because of she's so kind-hearted."

"Yes. Sooner or later, Mizuki will realise that. Whenever outsiders look at the Takuya family, their intentions are never pure."

"Miss Takuya's strong point is her optimism, which was strengthen by going through hardships when she was living with the Tachikawas. Her personality is good, pure, and sincere. This incident might happen again. I'm just afraid that Miss Takuya will get sadder and sadder after each incident. I'm afraid that the smile on her face will disappear."

"That's why must marry her to Taichi. Taichi grew up in the Takuya family. He completely understands how others see the Takuya family. After my life time, in the future, the one capable to take my place of protecting Mimi from the elements and does not let her be sad, probably only Taichi can do it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_What symbolic friendship earrings? _I looked at the pair of earrings on my palm. _They only wanted to use me. I don't want something as meaningless as this! _I threw the earrings into the fountain. They sank with a 'plop'. I stormed off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was watching Mimi from where I thought she couldn't see me again. _What's wrong with me? _Well, atleast I thought she couldn't see me until she ran pass me. "Perhaps… you should think about your attitude. Don't believe people that easily, and don't accept their gifts. This way, you won't be that easily deceived anymore."

"I really am a fool. Just a pair of earrings can make me happy. However, you don't know this. What I'm happy about is not receiving a gift. I'm happy because… forget it. Telling this to someone like you… you won't understand it, because our values are completely different."

"Are you finished with ranting?" I started to walk towards her slowly. "I don't want to say it, but treat this incident as a coming-to-the-Takuya-family's 'first shock' lesson. Before you came into the Takuya family, the people who were your friends really liked you, understood you. However, this does not apply to when you're in the Takuya family. You have to remember. The people in the Takuya family don't have friends outside the Takuya family."

"'No one is an isolated island'. I believed this last time, because people, being humans, need friends. Don't tell me that once you're surrounded by money, you become a monster, and have to enclose yourself from the world. If it's really like that, I would rather not be a Takuya family member. I don't want to turn into a monster."

Her words struck me. "Perhaps… perhaps you're right. No one wants to become a monster, especially not an unsociable and eccentric monster."

"Sorry, I wasn't talking about you. I…"

"I understood your meaning." I sighed._ Should I really tell her this?_ "Actually, I did have a friend outside the Takuya family. And he was a very good friend."

"Didn't you tell me that you had no friends outside the Takuya family?"

"Maybe that was because at that time, I wasn't sure if he could be considered as a friend. His name is Michael. We were in the same classes from elementary school to high school. At that time, both of us loved playing soccer. I still do, of course. So we both joined the soccer team together. The feeling was great. He was an extremely good soccer player. He often said to me, 'I want to improve in my soccer playing and join the national team'. However, his dad wanted him to take over the family's business, but he didn't want to. He even said that if he stopped playing soccer, he would feel as if his life had no direction. 'Soccer is my reason for living' he said. He encouraged me to fight for what I wanted with all my strength. At that time, I thought that Michael would be the only 'not after fame and fortune so he gets close to me' friend. And I chose to believe him, because he possessed a dream that's worth more than money. If it wasn't for that day, to this day, I would still continue to. That day, there was a soccer match between our school and another school. Michael wanted to score the winning goal, in front of the media that would be there, and show that he was a good soccer player, to help him in achieving his dream. However, that day, instead of him scoring the winning goal, I was the one who scored it. And that was the first time I saw him looking at me with such a cold expression. I thought that I was the one who did him wrong. I thought that he was just mentally preparing himself to talk to me. After all, he had told me the importance of that match and scoring the winning goal."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
I stopped Taichi in the middle of his speech! Oh the suspense! .


	16. Chapter Sixteen

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 16  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"However, I discovered that I was mistaken. I heard him talking to his father on the phone. He said that he let me score the winning goal on purpose. He said, "Dad, I'm your son. I didn't get to score the winning goal. Can't you comfort me and stop only thinking about your future?" After that, I confronted him. I asked him why he did it, and he said that his dad said that his family had accepted too much of the Takuya family's gifts, because his dad said that Takuya family members must not be humiliated in public, because his dad accepted the Takuya family's money, therefore he had to let me score the winning goal. He had to let me score that winning goal, because if the Takuya family cut off the funding to his family, they would be doomed. He had to let me score that winning goal so that the Takuya family would send him overseas for training. 'Without money you cannot move people, without money you cannot buy things, with money you can accomplish your dreams. With money you can become a champion, a world champion, if you want to. Money can cause people to give false impressions. That's what the Takuya family has taught me. Congratulations, winner' he told me."

"Then do you guys still communicate with each other?"

"If you were me, do you think we can still be friends?"

"No. Now I understand why you said 'Sometimes, having friends is troublesome'. You're not actually afraid of being hurt, you're afraid of hurting others. Am I right? The incident between Michael and you was only an accident. It doesn't mean that you won't ever make a true friend outside of the Takuya family."

"You're wrong. The incident between me and Michael wasn't an accident. After staying in the Takuya family for so long, what's real and what's fake… I can no longer differentiate it. So… I don't want to spend my entire life under Emp.'s control. What's unexpected is that we've become acquainted under these circumstances. If it wasn't for that, perhaps we…"

"Perhaps we… we'd what?"

"Don't think wrongly! What I'm saying is that we might be at peace with each other, and we'll get along with each other. In any case, if there's any chance, I will at any price it takes, leave the Takuya family." He walked off.

Later that night, I was sitting on my bed. _What do I do? After knowing what Taichi's really thinking, I really want to tell him that the engagement issue is really Yamato and my plan to punish him. Also, I regret it now. Taichi, like me, wishes to leave this place. So he keeps collecting housing and working information. What to do? I have to find Yamato and talk to him at once._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

We were standing in the school yard during lunch break. It seemed to be strangely deserted. "You're not willing to be engaged with Tai?" _Why am I even doing this? Tai's not talking to me, and Mimi's stressing out about this. Well, I'll just hope that somehow… even if I have to act as an evil brother/ friend, this will help them. Somehow or another. Trust yourself, Yamato._

"I…"

"Even if you want to break the promise we have, and aren't going to return the 7,500,000 yen, I'm fine with it. How are you going to convince Emp. to call off the engagement between you and Tai though?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV  
**  
"I'll figure out a way. Anyway, Taichi wa-" _Oh no. I almost told him that Taichi wants to leave the Takuya family._

"What were you going to say?"

"It's nothing. Yamato, have a heart. I'll return you the 7,500,000 yen somehow, so please, can we go together and tell grandpa?"

"The thing about the money… I don't really care about it, but you know Emp., the he won't change the decision he makes, even if the sky falls. Emp. will just be angry. It won't end well. I don't want to cause any trouble. I urge you not to cancel the engagement."

"I don't care… I'll go to grandpa and ask for the 7,500,000 yen back and return it to you. Please, let's go together and tell him."

"You're really weird! Didn't you say that you wanted to punish Tai? Why are you changing your mind so quickly?"

"That's because… anyway, let's end it now, okay? Anyway…"

"Could it be that you've fallen in love with Tai?"

"I won't like him!" I looked away from him, my face hot.

"I guessed correctly, didn't I? You like Tai, so you don't want him to be upset because of the engagement." He looked at me. "You're face is red! This is so much more interesting than my plan to punish Tai! Little princess, I didn't expect you to fall in love with someone whom you hated!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

_Well. Actually, I did._ "Hey, you're face is so red!" I put my arm around her shoulders.

"Yamato. Mimi." Tai suddenly appeared. "I wasn't interrupting the both of you, was I?"

"Didn't hear anything just now, did you?" Mimi asked Tai. He looked angered, and I could see that he was jealous.

"Should I have heard anything? Don't worry. I didn't hear anything that I shouldn't hear. I also didn't see anything that I shouldn't see. I came here to remind you that Emp. wants me to bring you to try on wedding dresses after school. Did you forget?"

"Oh. I did forget. Thanks."

"Or would you rather let Yamato bring you there? I'm sure he would be ecstatic." _This is Taichi's way of hiding his jealousy. However, does Mimi know that?_

I walked towards him, patting him on the back. "Don't jump into conclusions. I won't go after my best friend's fiancée. You can set your mind at ease."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I stared at the wedding dress in front of me in awe. Then I ran to Taichi, putting my hands on his left arm. "Look! Isn't that wedding dress beautiful?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I looked at where her hands were touching my arm. I felt so… warm. Then she realised where her hands were, and removed them, blushing.

"Why don't you go and try on the wedding dresses?" _I can't wait to see her try them on. What? I have to do something about this. _"I don't have that much time to accompany you."

She tried on many dresses. She looked beautiful in all of them, but none of them really suited her. Until she tried on the 6th dress.

I couldn't help but grin. I couldn't help it, but I said, "This dress suits you. You look beautiful in it.", while looking at her in the eyes. Then I realised what I said. I still had to make her dislike me, after all. "Well, you know what they say. 'Clothes make the man'."

"Hey! Must you say something mean to me before you can be happy?"

"Hey, I'm praising you too."

"Thank you!" She turned away from me, fuming.

_Mimi. You're really beautiful. Really._

She turned back to me. "Thank you."

I looked away, shocked. "What's with you and seeming to be able to hear my thoughts?"

"Huh? I was just saying 'thank you'. Did you say your thoughts out loud or something?"

"No. Mimi, you… look beautiful." I walked towards the shop owner, heartbeat speeding up. "We'll just temporarily order this dress."

"Yes, Master Yagami."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

We headed out of the boutique. "Where's the car?" Taichi asked, looking confused. _He looks kind of cute like this._

"I told the chauffeur to go back since we would take a very long time."

"Hey, princess, how are we supposed to go back without the car? Walk back?"

"Hey, prince, there's another form of transportation called public transport. What are you afraid of?" I walked off.

"Hey!" I turned back to see him still standing there.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go! Crest of Courage, remember?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

She walked in-front of me, twirling around at times. _She looks so cute, so happy and carefree. _I smiled. Then she started walking backwards to talk to me.

"If you're thinking of leaving the Takuya family, and live outside alone, there's a lot that you need to know. You have to consult me, okay? For example, how to take the bus, and the train. If you don't even know how to do these ordinary things, how can you possibly live outside alone?"

"Regarding me leaving the Takuya family, you haven't told anyone else, have you?"

"Of course not! I swear I really haven't. Really!" I walked pass her, and she followed me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_This is the first time that I have walked with Taichi in such a carefree manner. I wonder if others will think that we are… _Then I remembered Yamato asking me if I had fallen in love with Taichi. _It's not possible!_

Then Taichi suddenly sped up and walked away. I followed him, curious. He looking into a shop that specialized in helping people buy/ rent houses (A/N : What is it called?).

"You're already looking for a house?"

"I'm just looking around first. That's because I'm planning to leave the Takuya family after I graduate from university."

"Graduation's nine months away, isn't it a bit too soon to look for a house?"

"That's because I've stayed in the Takuya family for so long, that I'm not used to the whole money thing, so I'm looking at the market prices. In short, to prevent myself from getting cheated."

"I didn't expect a young master like you to think so practically. Well, so do you want to experience the feeling of looking for a house? Come on, looking at houses doesn't cost any money. Besides, I'm here. So, let's go!" I dragged him into the shop despite his protests.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

Somehow, we ended up looking at an apartment in a pretty nice street. The apartment was great, but… "The rent here per month is 138,000 yen. I think that by the time I move out of the Takuya family, there won't be any other apartment like this."

"What are you planning to do after leaving the Takuya family? What do you want to work as? Do you have any dreams?"

"Of course I do. I'll let you guess."

"Soccer player or lawyer?"

I was shocked. "How did you guess?"

"I saw the job information about being in sports or in the law business, and since you like soccer too…"

"Oh. Well, I want to be a soccer player or lawyer. However, I think that I'll just keep soccer as an interest, since if I do get injured, it could just cost me my job, while being a lawyer can be a lifelong job. I don't mind starting from the bottom, or even if anyone treats me coldly, or ignores me. I'll adapt to it, and rise to the top."

"Then what happens if you still remain at the bottom?"

"Well, it's based on my own ability, so even then, I'll just buy a house in the suburbs, with possibly a wife by my side. Isn't it quite the happy picture?" I grinned at her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_This is the first time I've seen Taichi so enthusiastic and serious about his future. He suddenly looks so much more attractive. Now, I feel like I can't look away._ Suddenly, he turned towards me.

"However…" he started saying, then stopped when he noticed that I was staring at him. I turned away, blushing madly, and he continued, "If I stay in the Takuya family for too long, this might not happen. I believe that you and I have the same feelings on this, right? You and I can be considered comrades-in-arms on this issue, but at the same time, we're also enemies. So I have to say it again. I cannot become Emp.'s successor. So… the engagement…"

I looked away. _I know that it's impossible for you to be with me if it means being Emp.'s successor. However, is it true you really won't do anything for me?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_How could I have just freely tell Mimi what I was really thinking, and about my plans for the future? I should continue to make her dislike me, not like me more. It's because… sooner or later, I'll leave the Takuya family. However, I'm having second thoughts now. If I'm with her, I wouldn't really mind being Emp.'s successor…_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
(:


	17. Chapter Seventeen

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 17  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****

Mimi's POV

I headed towards where Taichi was sitting, two ice-cream cones in hand. I sat down beside him, passing him an ice-cream cone. He was smiling, contentedly licking his ice-cream. _Just seeing his smiling expression makes me feel so happy. I want to continue being by his side. Am I in love with Taichi? Maybe I am. However, the engagement matter…_

At night, I sat in grandpa's room, listening to Head Manager Gennai announce details of the engagement party. They were thinking of inviting the President.

"Mimi, are you alright? You look pale. Do you have anything to say? Tell grandpa."

"I… could you return the 7,500,000 yen to me?"

"I did tell you that you didn't need to pay the loan back anymore, but you insisted on paying it back. What do you want it back for?"

"I…"

"I'm okay with returning the money back to you, but you have to tell me where you got the money from. If you don't say it, I won't return it." I felt as if a 100-ton hammer had hit me on the head. "Mimi, you were the one who suggested the engagement, and that's why grandpa is planning it now." I felt as if a 500-ton hammer had hit me on the head. "So… Gennai, you say it."

"Unless a comet crashes into the Earth, the Takuya family matters are not delayed by even a day." I felt as if a 1000-ton hammer had hit me on the head.

"Mimi, understand?"

"Yes." I got up and left the room, feeling depressed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Emp.'s POV**

"Hmm. Even if you want to fight with grandpa, it's still a little early for now. Gennai, keep a close eye on Mimi."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Mimi's POV**

I stopped Head Manager Gennai as he walked out.

"If this is about borrowing money, don't bother, Miss Takuya."

"Please? Lend me 7,500,000 yen. I'll pay you back with interest, but please don't tell grandpa. Look, take this as a guaranty." I held out my Mickey Mouse watch that I bought for 640 yen last year. (A/N : DON'T OWN THIS!). He stared at it in shock.

"Emp. already instructed me not to lend you any money, or I'll be fired."

"Don't be like that, Head Manager Gennai! You have worked for the Takuya family for such a long time, surely your wage is very high… you must have a lot of savings, right? Just lend me 7,500,000 yen, please!"

He started to cry dramatically. "You don't know how my life is like. An old mother who tries her best to raise her son, my mother who has to go for kidney dialysis every day. My father who's addicted to gambling and drinking. He has to drink 8 times in a day, and often loses his pants even though he's wearing them. What's even more tragic is that my wife has a liver disease and makes plastic flowers at home to help to cope with the financial expenses…" I faked a yawn. "And my son, he doesn't just go and play with women, he has to go and play with a strong, jealous man's woman, and he got beaten up till all the bones in his body broke, and now he has to go for rehabilitation everyday! And I'm sorry for myself! I succumbed to a woman's embrace, and now she has the early stages of gastric disease. Miss Takuya, if my days pass so miserably, do you still think that I have enough money to lend you?"

I covered his mouth with my hand before he could continue. "Head Manager Gennai, you have your difficulties, but you don't have to lie like that." I removed my hand, then covered his mouth again when I heard that he was about to speak. "Okay, okay! I won't force you anymore. However, please go and learn how to act." I walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Gennai's POV**

She seemed far enough to not be able to hear me anymore. I laughed. "That was close. Luckily I watch Korean Dramas with my wife every day. Otherwise, how could my acting be so good?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Mimi's POV**

I sat down the sofa in my room. _Grandpa must be trying to tell me that even if I regret the engagement, it's too late for me to cancel it. However, I don't want to make Taichi feel worried because of the engagement. How can I be happy if I'm bullying someone I like? Why did I agree to Yamato's plan?_

"Go and change your clothes. I'm bringing you out." Taichi suddenly appeared, standing in-front of me.

"Where are we going?"

"A date."

"What?"

Now, we were in his car. _Now, if I really get engaged to Taichi, and make him like me, let the lie become the truth, that doesn't sound bad. If Taichi doesn't want to stay with the Takuya family, then we can leave the Takuya family together. Then Taichi and I can move into that little dream house in the suburbs. _I imagined Taichi leaving for work, but before that, taking the lunch that I cooked for him with him, and kissing me on the cheek.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Taichi's POV**

She laughed hysterically all of the sudden. "Hey, please do not laugh mysteriously in my car."

"Hey, what does my laughing have to do with you? Where are you taking me?"

"Hotel."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Mimi's POV**

We were walking towards a hotel room. _Calm down Mimi, calm down._

"This is the Takuya family's VIP room. The view is terrific. Don't worry. It's unlikely that there will be any paparazzi."

_A nice view and paparazzi isn't what I'm concerned about. Rather, it's that… a man and a woman… alone in a hotel room…_

I entered three sets of doors before finally entering the room itself.

"You guys are finally here! You guys took a really long time." Hikari said, hugging me.

"Why are you guys here?" I asked, confused.

"Ask Tai. He was the one who invited us." Yamato said.

_So it's not only Taichi and me. And I was… anticipating it?_

"I called everyone here to have a gathering, since we're usually busy and all."

"Tai, why do I feel that it's for reasons more than that?"

Taichi seemed to ignore his question. "Today, we're here to welcome Mimi into our family. Cheers, Meems." We raised out bottles/ glasses of wine. I took a sip from mine, wincing slightly.

"We should tell Mimi about what happened on Tai's 18th birthday." Takeru said.

Apparently, what happened was that the three of them, Taichi, Yamato and Takeru (Hikari refused to join in, but she didn't know what they did then), took grandpa's yacht for a spin. Then they realised that grandpa would find them, and stayed in this hotel for a week. Then they got drunk. They ended up wearing nothing but their under wears, when a group of secret service agents armed with rifles came crashing into the room. They thought that they were kidnapped, and carried them out. They ended up being on the front page of the news.

"We thought that if we maxed out every credit card, Emp. would drive us away." Taichi said.

"Gosh, what was the limit?"

"The limit's not important. What's important is the fact that in the end, we discovered that Emp. didn't even know about it." Yamato said. "And that's because the credit card bills are sent straight to the Takuya family company. Anyway, let's not talk about this anymore. Cheers! To the to-be husband and wife!"

We drank, and drank, and drank.

I woke up the next morning in a bed. I looked to my left. I saw Yamato, sleeping beside me. Shocked, I quickly looked below the blankets. Thankfully, I was still fully dressed, with only a few buttons from the top unbuttoned. I screamed, waking Yamato up.

"What's happening?" Then he seemed to realise what was happening.

_Did I? Really? With Yamato? Did I? Calm down. Think carefully. Last night, I got really drunk…_

I hit Yamato on the arm. "What did you do to me?"

"What? I was sleeping just now, what could I have done to you?"

"I know! I'm asking about what you did before you went to sleep! Say it!" I hit him on the arm repeatedly.

"Hey, I'm not interested in someone as petite as you." I started hitting him more. "Mimi, don't worry. I believe that we did nothing. Besides, I'm a victim too. Plus, I'm still wearing my underwear and pants, so… Tai. That's why he decided to invite all of us. It must have been his plan."

"Tai…? His plan? What are you talking about?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

I reached out for the hotel phone and dialed Takeru's number.

"Hello?"

"Takeru, it's Yamato. Where are you?"

"I'm at home."

"Do you know that I'm still at the hotel?"

"Yes. Tai said that he had something to tell you, so Hikari and I left."

"Okay. Thanks Takeru. Bye."

I hung up, then turned to Mimi. "Looks like this was Tai's plan. He set up a gathering, got us drunk, told Yamato and Hikari to leave on the pretence of having to talk to me, then he probably made it look like we slept together. Tai… I didn't expect that he would stoop so low."

"You're lying. How could Tai do something like this?"

"Tai probably did this because of the engagement. If you and I really did anything, it would cause an uproar, and the engagement would have to be cancelled. We didn't do anything though, but if word of this gets to grandpa, the engagement is off."

"So the gathering to now… it was all Tai's plan?"

"Yes. I think he knows that if I drink too much alcohol, I won't be able to do that."

"Do what?"****

"It's nothing. We have to go and look for Tai."

I got dressed, and then told her that I would leave first, just in case Taichi called the paparazzi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Mimi's POV**

_Taichi, in order not to marry me, went to the lengths of faking that Yamato and I did that… So all along, my feelings for Taichi were just one-sided… does he really have no feelings for me?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Yamato's POV**

I confronted Tai back at the estate, with Mimi next to me. "I know that if you wanted things happen between Mimi and I, you wouldn't have poured me so much wine. Tai, I advise you to think carefully of what you're doing." I walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Mimi's POV**

"Mimi, Yamato's a gentleman. So I can assure you that you guys didn't do anything."

"Why did you do that then?"

"It's because… I want to cancel the engagement. You know that I want to leave the Takuya family. Emp. still wants to continue with this engagement, so I had no choice but to do that." He flipped his phone open, showing me a photo of me sleeping beside Yamato. "The three of us know that nothing happened that night, but does Emp. know that? So…"

"Don't tell me that in order to cancel the engagement, you can resort to unscrupulous means, and completely disregard my feelings?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just want to tell you that I'm not the person you should be marrying. If the person you marry has to be Emp.'s successor, I suggest that you find someone else. Otherwise, this photo will be released, along with Yamato as your partner." He walked away.

_Why? How can sure stinging words be said so gently? I know that you can't give up your dream of leaving the Takuya family, but why did you take such a photo to be used as a weapon against Emp.? Do you know that doing that saddens me?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Taichi's POV**

_I didn't want to do it. I already had doubts about whether I really wanted to not be Emp.'s successor if it meant being with Mimi. However, I still decided to do it. After all, Mimi might return my feelings for her. And besides, it's better that she's with Yamato. Isn't she?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Mimi's POV**

Hikari had came in earlier, urging me to eat my breakfast. During her visit, Head Manager Gennai told me that Taichi had a cold, so dance classes for today were cancelled. I had a feeling that he was just avoiding me though. I walked along the busy corridor, staff rushing to prepare for the engagement party. _Tai… do you really have no feelings for me? However, when I asked Hikari what might happen if I cancel the engagement, she said that you might be implicated… As the day to the engagement party nears, the more I'm harming myself. _"It's so annoying! Can't time stop?" I shouted.

Suddenly, all the staff froze. Then Head Manager Gennai came, announcing that Emp. wanted to see me. The staff remained frozen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
**Don't blame Taichi! Even though I would probably punch him if I didn't know what he was thinking. So, yea! And, DON'T YOU DARE GET IT INTO YOUR HEAD THAT THERE WAS A MIMATO MOMENT IN THIS CHAPTER. AND YES, IT'S **STILL** A MICHI.

The next chapters will be much happier, I think. (:


	18. Chapter Eighteen

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 18  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
Mimi's POV**

"Mimi, I have something to say to you."

"Really? Me too."

"You go first."

"I… I…" _Oh no. How am I supposed to tell grandpa that I want to cancel the engagement? _"Grandpa, I think it's better if you speak first."

"Mimi, when you were found, I promised myself that I wouldn't see this tape again. However, I want to see it again, this time with you." He pressed 'play', and a video showing my birth parents, grandpa, and me as a baby could be seen. "Before I found you, whenever I missed you guys, I would watch this video. Then I wouldn't be so lonely. This tape recorded your birth parents' love for you. It's a pity that they don't get to see you now."

"No, grandpa. I believe that Mother and Father in heaven can see me now."

"All these years, I haven't been able to take good care of you. Now you're all grown up! I'm old, and I don't think I'll be able to take care of you for long. So, my greatest desire is to marry you to a person who will take care of you, replace me, and accompany you for a lifetime. Mimi, Taichi is that person."

_However, grandpa, Taichi doesn't like me at all, and he hates being your successor._

"In tomorrow, you and Taichi will be getting engaged. I haven't let them down." He got teary, then continued. "Well, what did you want to tell me?"

"Nevermind. It's nothing." _I can't say it. Grandpa would be so disappointed._

"Then go and get some rest. Tomorrow's the banquet. I want to introduce you to the world. Rest well, and look radiant! I want everyone to see how beautiful my granddaughter is."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

The engagement party was on. "Everyone," I spoke into the microphone, "I'm happy to welcome you to the Takuya family mansion for this gathering. Today, we are not discussing politics or business. Today's gathering is to introduce my granddaughter, whom I'm extremely proud of, and to announce her engagement to Yagami Taichi. And she is, Takuya Mizuki!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

The spotlight fell on her, and Emp. gestured towards where she was standing. I looked at Tai. He seemed stunned, his gaze fixed on her as she walked towards Emp., and said into the microphone, "Hello everybody. I'm Takuya Mizuki."

"Thank you. Everybody knows that our Takuya family has spent more than ten years to find our missing Mizuki. Now she's here, healthy and so beautiful, standing by my side, like an angel. This kind of happiness, is really the greatest gift God has given me. Today, I'm also here to announce my granddaughter's engagement to Yagami Taichi, one of the Takuya Family's Four Gems, and upon his marriage to my granddaughter, Mizuki, he will become my successor!"

Tai walked up the stage to stand next to Mimi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_Taichi, does this mean that you're accepting our engagement?_

"Now, the prince and princess will lead the first dance. After that, everyone, please enjoy the food and drinks! Thank you everyone, thank you." Emp. announced.

Then we were dancing together, the spotlight on us. _Tai, this is our first official dance together. I can almost believe that you really like me. However, this should be like Cinderella's glass slipper, the horsemen, and the pumpkin carriage. They'll disappear soon. I'm very happy to be dancing with you, but it's short-lived. It'll stop once the music stops._

"Why haven't you told Emp. to cancel the engagement?" Taichi whispered into my ear. We were still dancing.

"I tried, but I couldn't do it. I'm sorry." I whispered back.

"It's alright. You still have time. If you haven't told Emp. before the wedding banquet, I'll be forced to do it myself. You should know what I'll say." He twirled me around one last time, as the song ended. He continued holding my hand, bowing down slightly. "Do you want me to get you a glass of champagne, fiancée?"

I didn't answer. "Then I'll leave first." He walked away, leaving me standing on the middle of the dance floor, the spotlight still on me. The dance floor was slowly starting to get crowded. Yamato came and dragged me outside, to the fountain.

"Yamato, even if I get hurt, and since Taichi is adamant about this, I'll go to grandpa and cancel the engagement."

"Mimi, I'm asking you seriously. Do you like Tai?"

"However, he doesn't like me at all. He must hate me. He must hate me for not cancelling the engagement. However, he doesn't know that I'm not cancelling the engagement because I don't want grandpa to vent his anger on him."

"How do you know that Tai doesn't like you? When Emp. announced your engagement, he should have protested, but he didn't. I think he's taking your feelings into consideration."

"Well, he has a photo of us in the hotel, so he doesn't need to confront Emp., so…"

"What? He has a photo? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, we started it with our plan. He has the right to strike back. What do we do?"

"Mimi, don't worry. I believe that Tai wouldn't expose the photo. There's still time. If he's really unwilling, he would just go and confront Emp., I'm sure about that. So, continue acting as Tai's fiancée."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was listening to a middle-aged man congratulate me when I heard his voice.

"Dad, have a glass of champagne." Michael said, passing the middle-aged man a champagne.

"Michael?"

"Master Yagami. It's been a while."

"Our Michael's going to inherit the family business. I'll let you two talk and catch up."

We went to stand near the window.

"Michael, are you still playing soccer?"

"Master Yagami, you must be joking."

"Michael, don't call me Master Yagami. Just call me Tai, okay?"

"How will that suffice? You're the Takuya family successor."

"I really didn't expect to meet you here. The high school competition…"

"Master Yagami. Don't think about it anymore. I don't care about it anymore."

"Really? I care a lot about it though. Didn't you love soccer?"

"I don't really care about it anymore. I don't blame you. I learnt that money is all that matters."

"Money can't buy dreams. I still remember that at that time, your goal was to be in the national soccer team."

"The Takuya family has helped my family a lot. And the Takuya family has influenced you a lot too. The Takuya family thinks that they can control other people's lives. You keep asking me to continue playing soccer. Is that your dream, or my dream? I have to go and find my dad now." He started to leave. I grabbed his arm.

"Michael, I… I've always wanted to say that I'm sorry." He looked as if he was in deep thought, then turned towards me, and bowed down.

"In the future I hope the Takuya family will continue to help us." I walked away in a daze, Michael still bowing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Michael's POV**

I could feel a tear rolling down my cheek as I straightened up again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Taichi walked past me, looking hurt. _Taichi's frame of mind must be… No. I can't let others see the two of us like this. You're still temporarily my fiancé, after all._

I found Taichi standing by the pavilion. I tried being cheerful for both of us.

"Hey, are you alright?" He didn't reply. "Don't sulk like that. Anyway, our engagement will be off in a few days. I'm really thinking about how to cancel it. Really! Tai… it's alright if you don't speak. I can imagine how you're feeling."

"Mimi. I… have I told you about Michael?"

"Yes. You said that he deliberately let you score the winning goal, and you were very upset about this."

"I met him at the gathering."

"Really? Then how is he like now?"

"He… I feel that he changed a lot. He's quite cynical and sharp now."

"Oh. Sometimes… people change with time."

"I don't know. I feel as if I was the one who hurt him. I think that if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be like this today."

"Taichi, it isn't your fault. It was his own choice."

"So do you know why I want to leave the Takuya family so badly? I don't want to become another Michael! Do you know, even though he says that he doesn't blame me, I know that he won't be able to forgive me, and he won't be able to forgive himself. Do you understand?" He paused, then said, "Mimi, I'm sorry. I don't want to give you pressure…"

"I get it. Taichi, I know what should be done." I turned around, walked off, then tried to run to where I was going.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_Mimi… I'm really sorry that I don't have the courage to tell you how I feel about you, and I don't have the courage to know how you feel about me. You'll be better off without me, and with someone else._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I stood in-front of the mansion, panting. _Isn't everyone's dream to live in such a luxurious place, or to have money for a lavish lifestyle? However, now I understand that there are some people who want to leave this place. What was stopping me from cancelling the engagement wasn't telling Emp., it's… Tai… I really, really like you. _I marched off, into the mansion, now determined.

"Grandpa, I have an important matter to tell you. It's very important."

I told grandpa when we were seated in his office.

"What? You want to cancel the engagement?"

"I don't want to marry Taichi anymore. However, the contract that we had about the 15,000,000 yen will be cancelled. I'll promise you grandpa, that I'll stay by your side and accompany you, then find a nice person to marry, and let him be the Takuya family successor. Is it possible?"

"You don't want to marry Taichi?" I didn't answer. "Do you know what you're saying? Wasn't it you who ran in here and said that you liked Taichi, and you agreed to the engagement? And I spent so much effort in organizing your engagement, you…"

"I was wrong."

"You… you don't like Taichi?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It's because… I just want to stay by grandpa's side. I don't want to get married."

"Mimi, grandpa is very happy to hear this. However, I already announced this matter in public. What's going on with you? Say it."

"Grandpa, don't ask anymore. I just don't like Taichi anymore. Doesn't grandpa always want me to stay by his side? I promise you, I will. Unless you don't care about your granddaughter's happiness." I stood up. "Grandpa, I'm sorry."

I ran out. Then hid behind the wall near the room, sobbing. _Mimi, you finally said it. You finally said it. You finally helped Taichi. Taichi, you're free._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"Gennai, do you know what those youngsters are thinking of?"

"Emp., Miss Takuya's sentence, 'unless you don't care about your granddaughter's happiness', forces you to agree and cancel the engagement."

"Gennai, are they fighting? Mimi looked as if she was going to cry. It isn't as simple as that. Gennai, go and investigate what's wrong with them. I have to talk to Taichi."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was listening to three maids saying that Mimi had cancelled the agreement. _Hmm, 'perfect couple', really?_ Then I decided that I had enough of listening, and walked off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I was asking Yamato what he thought would happen to Tai, when Hikari and Takeru ran in.

"Yamato! Big brother ran away!"

"Where?"

"I don't know, he just ran away! Takeru, tell them what happened!"

"Well, Emp. was telling him that he needed to talk to him, when Tai started talking rudely to him, and well… he just said that he didn't want to talk to Emp., and then ran away."

"Oh no. Everyone knows that you cannot turn away from Emp., and now…"

"Then what will happen?"

"I don't know. It depends on how Emp. is feeling now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was in my car, driving. _Mimi and m off. I should be happy about it. And now, I'm so unexplainably angry. Sigh. What am I doing?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Hikari, Takeru, Yamato and I were standing in Emp.'s room.

"Grandpa, did Taichi really run away from home?"

"Hikari, you say it!" He shouted at her.

"Umm… well, big brother could be afraid that Emp. would change his mind about cancelling the engagement, and he was in a bad mood, so he…"

"Emp., it cannot be said that Tai ran away from home. Maybe he just went out to relax." Yamato said.

"Even his passport was taken!"

"Grandpa, bringing his passport does not necessarily mean that he ran away from home."

"Emp., Tai went on a business trip last month, so maybe he left his passport in his car."

"No! Gennai, inform the immigration centre! Don't let him leave the country!" Grandpa and Head Manager Gennai left the room.

"That's the first time I've seen Emp. so angry." Yamato said, sighing.

"He must be feeling humiliated about Tai just leaving like that." Takeru said.

"I hope Tai comes back soon. Emp.'s serious." Yamato said.

Later, I sat down on my bed, thinking. _Taichi, are you really leaving? Even if you want to leave, you should have told me first. I was your fiancée, after all. What to do? Grandpa's really angry. He sent my parents to Brazil, who knows what he would do to Taichi. Who could stop that rigid, bald headed grandpa? If… yes. Only I can._

I changed into jeans and an ordinary tee-shirt. I wrote a letter, put it in an envelope, then placed it on my teddy bear. I sneaked off to the main foyer, where the entrance/ exit was. Security guards were patrolling the whole area. I managed to sneak past them by hiding behind pillars, good timing, and a 10 yen coin. Well, basically, I tossed a ten yen coin to a far corner, and they all ran towards it, while I snuck out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"What 'farewell' letter?" I shouted, as I threw the letter onto the table. "Gennai, go and bring them back. Both of them! Nevermind! Gennai, get my car. I'll go and find them myself."

**Still a MICHI! :D**

Oh, and for those wondering, the story isn't going to end yet. This chapter is still far from the middle of the story.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 19  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Yamato's POV**

"Brother! Mimi ran away too!" Takeru said, rushing into the room. I didn't reply.

_Did she run away to divert Emp.'s attention from Tai? Hmm. She's actually quite smart. Now, it's up to them. Taichi, Mimi, good luck._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Taichi's POV**

_It's been so long since I've seen such a beautiful sunrise. Emp. should be furious. Mimi…_

My phone beeped. I flipped it open, then held it to my ear. "Tai," came Yamato's voice, "Where are you? Emp. is furious. Contact us soon, okay?"

I called Yamato. "Hello, Yamato?"

"Tai? Where are you?"

"What happened? I didn't ran away from home. I just went out to relax."

"I want to say 'told you so' to Emp., but I can't, can I? Well, he's furious. He went out to look for you, and even posted up a 30,000,000 yen reward. Mimi ran away from home as bait to help you escape."

"What did you say? Mimi ran away from home? I'll go and find her. Call me immediately if you have any news of her." I got into my car and drove off, memories of her playing in my mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Mimi's POV**

I was hiding behind a tree near my parent's house. Security guards and a limousine had drove up there. Security guards were currently trying to determine if anyone was in the house.

_That was close. Grandpa really dispatched them here to look for me. However, this is the only place that I can stay at. The most dangerous place is the safest place. _Then they drove off. _Since they already searched the house, they shouldn't be back again._ I snuck into the house. Once in, I put my handbag aside and sat on the armchair covered with a sheet of white cloth.

_Sigh. If only Mommy and Daddy were here. I wonder how they are doing in Brazil. Do they think of me? I really wish everything was a dream, and Daddy's going to wake me up, asking me to help him with frying the eggs. Then I have to start to work hard to buy a house. Then Taichi appears as an ordinary person. Taichi, where are you now? _Then, I felt myself drifting off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Taichi's POV**

_I'm coming for you, Mimi._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Mimi's POV**

I woke up, feeling famished. _The house is empty, it feels frightening. _Suddenly, I heard the door knob turn. _Is that a thief? Or grandpa's men? _I started looking for a place to hide. _That's not right. Hiding's no use. No matter who it is, I'll hit him till his unconscious. _I looked around, then grabbed a mop which was leaning against the wall. Then I ran to hide near the staircase. He was coming. Nearer, nearer. Then I struck. His sunglasses and hat fell off. It was Taichi.

"Sorry Taichi."

His bushy hair was now flattened and laid flat on his head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Taichi's POV**

About half-an-hour later, it grew dark outside. I sat beside Mimi, who was holding a large ice pack to my head. "Sorry, I thought that you were a thief."

"It's okay. You were defending yourself. Did you have to hit so hard though?"

"I'm sorry! Does it still hurt?" She lifted her hand a pressed it to my forehead. Shocked, I touched her hand, both of us looking into each other's eyes. Then we realised what we were doing, and moved away from each other.

"Erm, Taichi. What are you doing here? Aren't you running away from home? Did you know that grandpa's furious?"

"I know."

"Hey, Taichi. Since we both already successfully ran away… let's take this chance to leave the Takuya family."

_That's a good idea. Mimi and I together, running away… Sigh. Who am I kidding? _"I think we'll be found very soon. And then, after this, we'll probably be under 24-hour surveillance."

She turned, her face inches from mine. "Aren't we always under 24-hour surveillance? Don't tell me that you want to give up."

"Mimi, do you want to see your parents again? With you running away, Emp., he well, he has the ability to prevent you from ever going to Brazil. So you should go back first, and think of another way to escape."

"So you're saying that I'm implicating you, stubborn, bushy-haired, guy?"

"Princess Mimi," I put my hands on her shoulders, "I just don't want to cause you to not be able to see your parents again. Do you understand? I still want to thank you for doing this for me though."

She blushed, then looked at the floor. "It's nothing."

"Mimi, if I leave the Takuya family, will you listen to Emp. and go and marry another guy?"

"I… I've already asked grandpa to give me more time." I noticed that she avoided my question. "Why did you ask it like that? Haven't you always hoped for that?"

I didn't know what to say. "Wait a minute! Did you run away from home for me?"

I put my hands into my pockets, and turned away from her. "When did I run away from home? I left to watch the sunrise."

"Watch the sunrise? Came all the way here just to watch the sunrise?" She nudged me with her shoulder.

"Who asked you to become a bait? Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to be here alone?"

"So you were worried about me." She teased me, nudging me with her shoulder again.

"Non… nonsense. I just don't want my actions to cause other people trouble."

"Really?" She paused, leaning against my back. "Hey, Taichi. Lend me your handphone."

I passed her my phone. "What are you doing?"

"I want to see… if the photo of Yamato and I is still inside."

"Give it to me!" She started running away, holding the phone away from me, with me following her, trying to snatch it back. "Give it back!"

"You did delete it!"

"Give it back!"

She fell onto an arm chair, along with me. Our faces were inches apart. And my lips were getting closer to hers… then suddenly, there was a beam of light. Shocked, we quickly moved away from each other. Then came Head Manager Gennai's voice, amplified.

"The people inside, please pay attention! We're the Takuya family's people. Are you the people we're looking for? If you are, please come out quickly, or we'll rush inside. May I ask if it's convenient for us to going in now?"

We headed out of the house, shielding our eyes from the light. Almost immediately, paparazzi surrounded us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Emp.'s POV**

I was watching the news, talking about Taichi and Mimi being in the Tachikawa's house last night. "Emp., so, is the wedding banquet on again?"

"Hmm. Look at those two. There's obviously chemistry between them." I chuckled. "Gennai, you went there too early. You should have went there later and given them more alone time. Right?"

"Yes. Emp., but if we went there later, you might already have a great-grandchild."

"The more I think about this, the happier I get! Yes, the wedding banquet is definitely on! I can't stop laughing! Both of them should be like this more!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**  
****Yamato's POV**

I was teasing Mimi. _Looks like my plan worked. She still had the whole loan thing to pay off though. I should help her. _I held up a check in-front of her.

"What are you giving me money for? I didn't do anything."

"This is for leaving the house with Tai."

"I don't want it."

"If I say that it's a reward for accomplishing the plan would you take it?"

"I said that I don't want it! The plan has already been terminated."

"What 'plan has already been terminated'?"

We turned around. The check fluttered down to the ground. He looked at it, his expression showing deep hurt. Tai.

I walked towards Tai, stopping beside him. "Mimi and I had a plan. It was to get her to tell Emp. that she wanted to get engaged to you to punish you and see what your reaction would be."

He walked towards Mimi, stopping in-front of her. "You accepted Yamato's money and agreed to his plan just to punish me and see my reaction to the engagement?"

"No… no. It was, at first, but…"

He started to walk away, but I grabbed his arm. "Tai, don't blame Mimi. It was my plan. She only agreed to it because I pressurised her into agreeing. If you want to be angry, be angry at me. As your best friend, I just didn't want to see you bottle up your feelings, that's why I came up with the plan. You're supposed to be the courageous one. If you don't want to be the Takuya family's successor, just tell Emp., if you like Mimi, just tell her. She's the one who will make you happy, and that's why I came up with the plan, to somehow get you two closer to each other."

"That's enough! It's none of your business, Yamato."

"Guys, stop fighting! Taichi, I'm sorry."

"No wonder you weren't willing to cancel the agreement. And I worried day and night about how to leave the Takuya family. I was too naïve."

"No, Taichi, it's not like that. Yes, I did agree to the plan, and an agreement is an agreement. I did take Yamato's money, but that's because I really wanted to leave the Takuya family at that time. I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear your explanation! I can understand Yamato's motive, but little princess, I can't accept your motive for doing that, and I will never be able to." She looked as if she would break at anytime. "And it's about money again. Compromising your own morals for money. Maybe that's why I want to leave the Takuya family."

He walked away.

_Tai. I understand you well enough to know that you're angry that Mimi didn't willingly ask to be engaged to you, but that it was because of my plan._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_Sigh. Why did I accept Yamato's money? If I was Taichi, and I knew that the engagement was just for money, I would be as angry as him. Sigh. What do I do?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_What am I so angry about? Is it because Mimi only got engaged to me because of Yamato's plan? Or am I angry at myself for having feelings for Mimi? Since a long time ago, I've hoped to achieve my dream by depending on myself. Now, because of my feelings for Mimi, I'm willing to give up my dream and become the Takuya family successor. I can't like Mimi. I can't._

Then, Yamato came into my room. He was angry, which was rare. "Tai. I know that you hate people who compromise their morals for money, but you should know the situation that Mimi is in. She accepted my money because she wanted to leave the Takuya family. I cannot believe that you can't see it. She thought of you, she knew that you didn't want to be the Takuya family successor, so she went to Emp. and cancelled the engagement, and she wanted to cancel it so much that she was willing to return my money and give up her chances of leaving the Takuya family! You're being very selfish! Think about it, Tai!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

In order to avoid two maids talking about the engagement, I entered a room. It was my birth parent's room.

_I must have spent my childhood here. It's so well preserved. Sigh. I know I hurt Taichi. What should I do to make up for it?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"Gennai, have you noticed that Mimi and Taichi walk past each other, and don't even meet each others' eyes these days?"

"Yes. I think Master Yagami and Miss Takuya are fighting. Do you want me to do anything about it?"

"Not for now. If they're fighting, that means that they have mutual feelings for each other. Sometimes, fighting can also bring people closer."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_How long is Taichi going to be angry for? Sigh. I have to go and talk to Taichi again. If he still wants to be angry, then there's nothing I can do._

I walked to his room door, and then hesitated before knocking on the door. Taichi came out, staring at me.

"At first, I agreed to Yamato's plan because I wanted to leave the Takuya family. Yes, I also wanted to punish you, but that's only because of the way you treated me at first. However, I didn't know then that you wanted to leave the Takuya family. After I knew that, I went to grandpa to cancel the engagement and then return Yamato his money. And that's what happened. I'm very sorry."

"Is that all?"

"How long are you going to be angry for?"

"Why is everyone asking that? Can't I be angry at myself?"

"Yagami Taichi, do you have to be like that? If you're angry at me, just say it! I can't bear it if you keep avoiding me! You can be angry at me, you can scold me, but don't treat me like that! I…"

_I like you._ He walked away. "I don't believe that you can't see it! I've always faced my feelings courageously, so why can't you? Why do you have to bottle up your emotions?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_Mimi. I'm sorry. I can't like you._

_**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EVIL-CHIBI-TIFFY! HAVE A GREAT DAY! (:**_

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Well, the first half of it, anyway. Sorry, but I had to do that for the story to progress. :x

It's still a **MICHI**.

Do you think the characters are too out-of-character?


	20. Chapter Twenty

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 20  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"Emp., I'm actually thinking of a way to achieve your desire. Tai, you should know how he's like. If he doesn't want to do something, even if you point a gun at his head, he still won't do it. If I can make them confess their feelings to each other…"

Emp. chuckled. "It seems as if I underestimated you. You don't just understand how to 'eat, drink and be merry'. What makes you so certain that your plan will work?"

"Tai is every girl's dream guy. And besides, Mimi already likes him. And I believe that Tai does have feelings for Mimi."

"Then what do you plan on doing?"

"I plan on using every method of making Tai jealous."

He started laughing mysteriously. "Then I'll use the most direct method. I don't have that much time to wait. Why didn't I think of making you my successor?"

_What?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Hikari's POV**

I ran to where Taichi was standing on the football field, Takeru next to me.

"Big brother, what's happening between you and Mimi? Why are Yamato and Mimi getting closer? Don't you two have feelings for each other? I mean, you two did get engaged. And then, when she ran away from home, you went looking for her, and you were so worried. I don't believe that you don't like her. Hey, aren't you worried about her liking someone else?"

He just walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

We – Taichi, Yamato, Takeru, Hikari and I – were sitting around the dining table, waiting for Emp. to talk.

"I called you all to gather here to tell you that the wedding banquet will still be held. I've decided to let Yamato be my successor, making him engaged to Mimi."

_What's going on?_

"Mimi, do you have any objections?" _This… this will help Taichi. _"Since Mimi has no objections, then Yamato is now my successor."

I looked at Taichi. He seemed shocked, hurt, and jealous…? _Taichi, do you want this? Then… treat this as my compensation for hurting you. In the end, the distance between us is the only way I can show my love for you. Can you feel my feelings for you?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"How could Miss Takuya like playboy Master Ishida?" I looked into the greenhouse to see three maids gossiping among each other.

"Didn't Emp. want Miss Takuya to marry Master Yagami?"

"Yes. Miss Takuya and Master Yagami are still the best match! However, Master Ishida-"

They seemed to realise that I was listening, so they stopped talking. Then, I saw Mimi walking in-front of me. She stopped went she saw me, then continued walking. I walked too. We walked past each other, not looking at each other.

After she was some distance away, I looked back at her. She stopped, then continued walking.

_I should be happy that I'm not the successor anymore. Why am I getting more and more depressed then?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

_Emp.'s move was too ruthless. I don't know if I'll be able to carry this act on. For Tai and Mimi though. I have to._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I stood some distance away from Yamato. _Why am I even caring so much?_

"I don't know if you're sincere about Mimi. However, before the wedding, I want to tell you that Mimi and your previous girlfriends are different."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

_Finally you decide to do something. _"We've been best friends for so long. Shouldn't you congratulate me?"

"It's because we've been best friends for so long that I'm advising you to consider again."

"I helped you to not become the successor. Shouldn't you thank me?"

"You never wanted to be the successor. What made you change your mind?"

"Would you believe me if I said that it's a sacrifice for you? What do you think I did it for?"

"Do you really like Mimi?"

"What do you think?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

Emp. wanted to see me.

"The wedding banquet is on in a few hours. There's not much time left. So, I'll get to the point. After my observations, I understand that Mimi has feelings for you. Why do you always reject her then? Is my granddaughter unworthy of you?"

"It's not like that. I'm the one that's unworthy."

"Then is it that I was a bad judge of character? I watched you grow up, and you know that I brought you up as my successor."

"I'm sorry Emp., I understand what you're…"

"I don't want to hear it. These are just empty, polite words. I called you here today because I want to know what you're really thinking. Say what you're thinking."

"I have stayed in the Takuya family for a long time, and received your protection and care. I don't know if I have the ability to face the difficulties and challenges outside. I want to depend on myself to survive outside. To see if I can survive in any situation without the Takuya family's help and protection. Therefore, I have disappointed you. I'm sorry."

He turned towards me, smiling. "I haven't judged your character wrongly. I haven't chosen the wrong person. You have a successor's courage. A leader's courage. You dare to say in my presence that your true ambition, to not be the successor. You have impulse, ambitions. And that's right."

"Thank you Emp. for understanding."

"And that's because you haven't experienced hardship!" He shouted. "You haven't experienced the hardship of having financial difficulties, that's why you envy others. Money isn't everything, but without money, you cannot have any ambitious ideas. You will regret the decision you're making today in the future."

"I hope Emp. will give me the opportunity to try. I won't be satisfied if I don't try my best."

"Now is a good opportunity to try. If you want to leave, take advantage of now. And that's because everyone's attention is on Mimi and Yamato's marriage. If you find this hard to listen to, I really have no time to listen to you. If you continue to stay here, you will affect Mimi's feelings. Do you understand? Think it over carefully. What is the most important to you? Leave first."

I left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

"Emp., even if Master Yagami leaves, you cannot continue with Mimi and Yamato's wedding. The wedding invitations have just been sent out. Cancelling now wouldn't cause too much of a fuss."

"This is the last chance. I just pushed Taichi hard. Let him think. Or he won't ever know that he has a precious, buried treasure on his hands."

"Emp., wouldn't such a stake be too big? If the wedding guests all arrive, and we cancel the wedding then, won't the Takuya family's reputation be affected?"

"For Mimi's future happiness, even if I destroy my Takuya family's reputation, and everything, I'll do it willingly."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_Mom, dad. I'll be getting married the day after tomorrow. _I looked at my birth parent's photo in their room. _You should be very happy, right? I don't know if I'm happy or not right now, but I believe that you guys would also help the person you love willingly, right? To let him pursue his dream, living my own life while watching him secretly. Mom, dad, give me strength to do my best._

(The next day)

I ended up in the school's lift with Taichi. I was trying to escape from the flood of school mates who were congratulating me on going to be married to Yamato.

"How are you? You've been busy recently."

"I'm fine."

The lift doors opened, and a whole bunch of basketball players came in, greeting us (Takeru wasn't with them), and hence causing me to have to go closer to Taichi for space. I blushed, and Taichi seemed to be blushing too. _How I wish time could stop, and I could be by your side forever._

The lift doors opened again, and we got out. Taichi started walking off, and I stared at him. _Yagami Taichi, how long will it be before I forget you? How long will it be till I forget my feelings for you?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_Mimi, I'm sorry. Forgive me for not being courageous enough to love you._

(Later that night)

_If I leave, I won't be able to come back. Am I sure that leaving the Takuya family is the life I want? What's sure though, is that I won't be able to pretend that Mimi didn't marry Yamato if I leave. If I don't leave, she won't marry Yamato._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Takeru's POV**

We – Hikari, Yamato and I – were standing around the statue outside school.

"Yamato, have you noticed that big brother has changed every since Mimi came? Now, he sometimes smiles very tenderly."

"Well, there's something called love." Yamato replied. "Something you lovebirds should know."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I was sitting in class, trying to do my homework, when Takeru ran in.

"Mimi! Tai was involved in a car accident!"

We headed to the hospital, then ran into the hospital room, only to see the doctor covering a body from head-to-toe with a white cloth.

"I'm sorry. We already tried our best."

I squatted near the bed, sobbing. "It's not possible. It's not possible. You still have to accomplish your dream. You have to go and become a lawyer." Then, I stood up and started pounding on the body. "Yagami Taichi, wake up! Wake up! You still have to achieve your dream! Wake up!"

Takeru was trying to restrain me. "Mimi, lower your voice."

"Get the doctor to come here! Get the doctor to come here! I have to save him! Get the doctor to come here! I have the money!"

"Mimi, lower your voice."

"I don't believe it… I don't believe it…"

"Mimi, if you really like Tai so much, why are you still marrying Yamato?"

"I don't want to hold Taichi back. If he marries me, he has to become the Takuya family successor. He still has his own dream that he wants to achieve." I turned back to the body. "Yagami Taichi! Get up! Yagami Taichi! Get up! Yagami Taichi!" I lifted the white cloth. What I saw wasn't Taichi lying there motionless. What I saw was a plastic dummy.

"You really like Tai?"

"Taichi?"

"Err, he should be at home. If you're wondering how it's possible for us to be in here, the hospital belongs to the Takuya family's company…"

"Get away from me!" I pushed Takeru away, then ran out.

"Mimi!" Takeru was running after me. "My intentions are good! If you like Tai so much, don't marry Yamato!"

"Get away from me!"

"Even if Tai and you cannot be together, marriage is a huge issue!" I stopped. "Why didn't you tell Taichi? If you continue like this, you'll regret forever."

"I did…"

"Really? I don't believe that Tai doesn't have any feelings for you. It's probably because you already agreed to marry Yamato, that's why Tai didn't want to tell you. Believe me. We have to try, one last time, we have to give Taichi and you a last chance."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I left two letters on the bed, then drove away from the Takuya family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Tai!" Takeru ran into Taichi's room, only to find no one there. There were two letters on the bed. Takeru took them from me, then opened one of them. It said that Tai went out to venture, and not to worry about him, and that if Yamato marries me, he has to take good care of me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

Takeru told me what he found out – that Mimi really loves Tai – and what happened – Tai ran away. _Yagami Taichi. You really left. Why hasn't Emp. activated the Takuya family army to look for him though? Does he not know?_

I gave Emp. the letter. "Do you want to use the satellite positioning system to track Tai's car or handphone? At the very least just to know where he ran off to?"

"I don't believe that my judgement is wrong. I bet that Yagami Taichi will definitely return!"

"What if… he doesn't?"

"If he can't handle a crisis, he can't be my successor. I'm worried about my darling granddaughter."

"Why don't we tell Mimi that we were actually planning for her and Tai to marry each other? Since she learnt that Tai left, she has been in her room. I'm afraid that she'll be depressed about this."

"If Tai doesn't return, won't she be more depressed?"

"Emp., you aren't sure if Tai will return?"

"My reputation can be ruined, I can lose the gamble, but I cannot let my granddaughter's hopes get crushed. Gennai, get someone posted outside Mimi's room, and to pay attention to her actions."

"Yes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

'Mimi, I didn't expect that I would tell Emp. about my dream. Perhaps being with you has helped me to be more sincere. And helped me to fight even more courageously. It has helped me remember how I used to go against Emp., Mimi, this ring is from my 18th birthday. I secretly worked to earn the money to but this ring. Although it's only a 1,376 yen ring, but I think it's the only item so far that I used my own two hands to earn.' I looked at the ring. It wasn't the heirloom ring with the crest of Courage on it. It was just a simple ring, black with sliver borders, with a little crest of Courage carved on it. And I knew that it was very precious to him. 'I'm giving it to you. I hope you won't change because of fame and fortune. In my heart, I'll always believe that you will always be that pure, innocent Mimi.' I folded Taichi's letter to me, and cried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Even though Yamato and Mimi might seem similar, remember, opposites attract!

So, it's still a **MICHI**!

Oh, and we've reached around the half of the story!

The whole fanfiction editing thing really gets on my nerves at times. ._.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 21  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I stopped the boat. (A/N : Just a small boat with an engine, personal boat?) I was already far away from the coast. _Emp. hasn't dispatched people to look for me. Is he really that busy with Mimi and Yamato's wedding? The wedding banquet is going to start. Perhaps this really is the best time to leave the Takuya family. _Then I thought of all the times I was with Mimi. _Why are all my memories in the Takuya family only about Mimi? Why am I only thinking about Mimi? 'I don't believe that you can't see it! I've always faced my feelings courageously, so why can't you? Why do you have to bottle up your emotions?' Why don't I have the courage to face my own feelings? Why am I letting Mimi marry someone else? This won't do. Mimi, you must wait for me._ I tried to turn on the engine of the boat. It didn't work. Then I knew what I had to do. I jumped into the water, swimming as fast as I could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Mimi," Yolei asked, trying not to stumble in her high heels, "Why aren't Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa here?"

"Grandpa said that after I get married, he'll invite them back here."

"Your complexion looks bad. Did you not get enough sleep, or is it something else?"

"I'm fine. Maybe I'm just nervous." _Not just nervous. About to make the biggest mistake of my life._

"Are you alright?" Yamato said, entering the room.

"Didn't you say that it starts at 11 p.m.?" Yolei asked.

"Err, maybe Emp. isn't ready yet."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

_Yagami Taichi, you better come back soon._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"Emp., the guests are getting impatient. I've already tried my best to placate them. I don't know how long I can continue to placate them. Emp., do you have any new ideas?"

"I have none!"

"Emp., about this, we don't have any back-up or plans. All we have to rely on is what Master Yagami does. It's a little dangerous. If Master Yagami doesn't come back… this will affect the Takuya family's reputation."

"I don't care."

"What if Master Yagami really doesn't come back?"

"I have another groom."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was running towards the Takuya family's mansion. I opened the doors to the mansion, only to find the room in darkness, with no one in sight. _Is the wedding already over? _I fell to my knees. _It's finished. Everything's finished._

Then, I heard footsteps behind me. "Finally, you're here." Yamato said. "If the prince isn't here, who will the little princess marry?"

I turned to look at him. "Why don't you go and see her? She's in her room."

I ran.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

"Gennai, how do I comfort Mimi? You have a daughter, so tell me. In this kind of situation, how do I comfort her?"

I didn't know what to answer, until I looked at the live security feed on the television monitor. "Emp., I think Miss Takuya doesn't need you to comfort her anymore." I gestured to the monitors.

"I cancelled the wedding, and I still haven't lost the bet?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I looked to the right, only to see Taichi standing there. He ran towards me, then kissed me tenderly on the lips, over and over again, then finally, for a long time, his hands around my waist, mine around his neck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was sitting on one of the kitchen tables, wolfing down the delicious omu-rice (she drew a smiley face on it with ketchup) that Mimi had cooked for me.

"You really haven't eaten since last night?"

"I swam in the ocean, and even fought two sharks."

"Are you telling the truth?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Come on, tell me!"

I looked at the ring she had put on her right thumb (it was probably too big for her other fingers), then reached out to touch it. "Wow, and you're even wearing the ring I gave you." I looked at her face. "Are you blushing?"

"It's hot in here…" She was lying, I could tell. "And I put the ring there so that you, stubborn, bushy hair guy, won't take it back."

"Since you like it so much, I'll leave it in your care."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

I was eavesdropping on their conversation when Master Takaishi and Miss Yagami came running towards me.

"Head Manager Gennai, I heard that big brother's back. Is he in there?" Miss Yagami asked.

"Yes…" She started heading towards the door. "No, don't go in. Emp. specifically instructed not to disturb Master Yagami."

"Why?" Master Takaishi asked.

"That's because Miss Takuya wants to cook food for Master Yagami to eat."

"Really? That's great!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

We – Hikari, Takeru and I - were sitting with Tai on the bleachers at the soccer field. We had made up, and were best friends again.

"Hey, Yamato. What kind of dates do girls like?" Tai asked me, blushing slightly.

"Oh, so no wonder you were playing badly today. You were worrying about where to bring Mimi for a date." Takeru teased him.

"I knew I shouldn't have asked you guys."

"Well, the first date is very important." Hikari said.

"And I hope that your first dates have only been with Takeru." Tai glared at her, suspicious.

"Well, I think that Mimi's the type of girl who goes for feeling instead of luxury. " I said.

"Yes, but I think what would touch Mimi's heart would be sincerity." Tai replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Taichi had told me earlier that he would pick me up at 9 a.m., and I've been thinking about it since then. _Is he asking me out on a date? Since it's a date… I have to pick out something to wear._

(The next day)

_Should I change my clothes first? However, if I change my clothes first, won't that make me seem too impatient? Or should I be pretending to be asleep when he comes for me? _Then I heard the doorknob turn. I ran back to my bed, threw the covers over me, and pretended to be asleep.

"Hey, princess Mimi, why aren't you ready yet? Didn't I tell you yesterday?"

I pretended to wake up, then stretched. "Sorry, I overslept."

"Were you too excited to sleep?"

"No! I slept very soundly, prince Taichi!" Then I realised that I had become too energetic for someone who had just woken up, so I pretended to be very sleepy. "Don't you see how sleepy I am now?"

"Right. Anyway, today's itinerary is special. I won't be following you. Here." He handed me a white piece of paper. "Follow the arrows to find me. I'll wait for you at the destination."

I smiled at the piece of paper, and I saw that he was grinning. "Hey, aren't you going to prepare? I'll leave first, bye. Remember, follow the arrows."

I changed into a simple black dress that ended a little above my knees, with a ribbon around my waist, and I paired it with a jewel blue headband and high-heels.

I followed the directions to the courtyard. There, I saw Hikari.

"Hey Hikari. What does Taichi want me to come to the courtyard for?"

"Hey Meems. Just follow the arrow behind me." I looked behind her. There was a big, bold, black arrow on a yellow background, like a traffic sign, pointing to the left.

I followed the arrow to a narrow path, laid with trees at either side, with well manicured hedges. The trees provided shade, while leaving enough sunlight peeking through. It was beautiful. _I never knew that the Takuya family mansion has this kind of place._ Suddenly, Takeru popped out of nowhere, holding a similar arrow, but pointed to the right.

"Takeru! You gave me a fright!"

"Just follow the arrow. Tai's waiting for you. Quickly, go!"

I followed the arrow, only to see Yamato's car. I knocked on the car's window. Yamato rolled down the window. "Get into the car. We're going on a trip."

"The gate's the opposite way. You have to make a u-turn."

"There's no need to. The Takuya family's mansion is so big, so how could it only have one gate? The other gate is seldom used and the security there is sparse, so it's a loophole in the Takuya family's surveillance. This gate is a secret between the Takuya Family's Four Gems, so Tai telling you means that he trusts you a lot."

We reached our destination. We got out. "Okay, my duties end here. Mimi, go up yourself." He handed me a key, then drove off.

I recognized the building. It was the building in which Taichi and I viewed that apartment (A/N : After Mimi's bridal dress fitting). I headed up, then unlocked the door. I walked inside. On the glass coffee table was a letter, addressed to me. I opened it. 'Dear Mimi, congratulations, you're finally here. Sorry but there's still more places to go.'

_Yagami Taichi, what are you trying to do?_

I continued reading. 'Mimi, do you still remember that the first time I met you, I angered you. After that, everytime we met, we would fight. Also, because I didn't want to be Emp.'s successor, I would try to avoid you, and the feelings I have for you. From the bottom of my heart, I regret making you sad because of my dream, so I'll work diligently from now on. Mimi, I want there to be, in my memories more times in which you're happy with me rather than sad. I want to take my future's key, and hand it to you. I want to tell you that my future plans now have you in them, and I'm here, waiting for you.'

I rushed up the stairs, following more arrows. I finally found Taichi on the rooftop garden. He took my hand. He had set up a table with two plates filled with food and two chairs in a corner. He held back a chair for me to sit on. I sat, and he sat down opposite me.

"This is my surprise for you. This is my first time cooking this, so I can't guarantee that it's delicious."

"Not bad, young master. It looks delicious."

We dug in. "It's delicious!"

"Of course. I cooked it." Taichi had a cocky grin on his face.

Suddenly, it started raining. Thankfully, we were sheltered from the rain.

"Do you want to go back in?" Taichi asked.

"No. It's only raining. I love walking in the rain." _It's romantic._

After our meal, we danced in the rain, both of us smiling. He hugged me close to him. Then he kissed me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

"Emp., according to the gatekeeper, Master Yagami and Miss Takuya did not leave at the same time." Emp. closed the book that he was reading.

"Not leaving at the same time doesn't mean that they aren't together. Those two probably agreed to meet outside. When Mimi returns, tell her that I have something to tell her."

"Yes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"We've reached home." Taichi said.

"There's a monitoring system nearby. I think we better be careful, or grandpa will come up with a reason for us to get married." (A/N : Mimi just doesn't want to ruin Taichi's dream by making him be the successor again). I got out of the car, walked towards the main door, turned and gave Taichi a smile, then walked away. Shortly, afterwards, I could hear Taichi driving behind me. Then his car passed by me, and he parked a distance away.

He got out of the car. I walked pass him, saying, "Maintain a 3 centimeter distance, just to be safe." We grinned at each other. Then suddenly, I almost tripped over something.

Head Manager Gennai was lying on the floor, groaning in pain. Then he got up. "Master Yagami, Miss Takuya."

"Head Manager Gennai, when did you start following us?" Taichi asked.

"Don't worry. I didn't hear anything. Keeping the master's secrets is the first rule of being a housekeeper." He turned towards me. "Miss Takuya, I'm here to see you. Emp. wants to talk to you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Are the characters too out of character? Please tell me!

And it's NOT over yet.

More drama to come! :D


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 22  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Did you have fun today?" Grandpa asked me.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't act. I'm asking about how Taichi and your date went."

"Where did you hear that from?"

"However, when I called the gatekeeper, he said that you two returned together."

"We just met and he offered me a ride. It was a very painful ride. He's so arrogant, rude…"

"Grandpa didn't know that you hated him so much."

"Yes! So I don't know why you want him to be your successor!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

_Hmm. Trying to use this move on me?_

"Well, Taichi doesn't have to be the successor."

"So you have someone else in mind?"

"Mimi, you forgot that the successor will also be your husband. What do you mean by 'you have someone else in mind'? You should be asking yourself if you 'have anyone else that you like'."

"I…"

"Yes?"

"Mm."

"Mimi, grandpa wants you to get married earlier, and hopes that there will be a successor to take over earlier. You don't want to see old grandpa still working, do you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"I don't want grandpa to still be working at such an old age, but…" _Sorry grandpa, I'm already in love with Taichi. However, he doesn't want to be your successor._

"Mimi, you and I know about how Taichi and you feel about each other. Grandpa should let you guys get engaged. That wouldn't be too hard on both of you, since you both have mutual feelings for each other, right?"

"Grandpa, stop saying that. If you say that again, I'll go to Brazil to look for my parents."

"If you dare to go to Brazil, I'll transfer Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa to Iceland!"

"Grandpa! If you do that, I'll be angry at you. Don't forget, I'm your granddaughter, I'm not afraid of you."

"Well said… well said. Mimi, then don't blame grandpa for being rude." He left the room.

_What does he mean by that?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

Master Yagami, Master Ishida (he came late because he went to a night party), Master Takaishi, Miss Yagami, Miss Takuya and Emp. were gathered around the dining table, eating breakfast. Then, I saw that Emp. noticed that Master Yagami and Miss Takuya kept sneaking glances at each other.

"Gennai, I read a very interesting book yesterday."

"Really? Then may I ask, Emp., what was the book about?"

"The book I read said that youngsters in love and or dating these days don't like people to know that."

"Really?"

"What's interesting is that we can tell everything from their body language! And that they could even be unaware about it! The book said how we can, from small actions, tell how that they're in love and or dating."

"Fascinating! However, Emp., I don't really understand it when you just talk about it. Why don't you give an example?"

"Okay. The book said that when two people are in love and or dating, their brain releases a kind of amino acids which will make a person feel excited, confused. These two people will also keep sneaking glances at each other. And then after that, as the two people get closer and more intimate, they'll subconsciously choose similar coloured clothing, or accessories."

Master Yagami and Miss Takuya were both dressed in black and white, and the black bow on Miss Takuya's headband was similar to Master Yagami's black bowtie. "How interesting."

"Oh, and it gets more interesting. They'll have more chemistry, understand each other more, and subconsciously know what the other wants. For example, what the male eats, the female will eat too." I looked at them. Master Yagami and Miss Takuya were about to eat a small piece of pancake.

"Oh, and there's one more point I almost forgot to say."

"Say it!"

"They'll be unable to restrain their feelings for each other and will have… exciting and passionate moments."

Miss Takuya touched her lips and Master Yagami licked his nervously.

Then Miss Takuya stood up. "I've really had enough of you! What are you trying to do, so early in the morning? It's not funny."

Then Master Yagami stood up. "Hey, who's playing with you? This is just a coincidence. Besides, Emp. was joking. He wasn't saying that we are lovers. Why are you standing up and crying out against him?"

"I just don't want to be said to be with you. Just listening to it makes me feel uncomfortable."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_I am so getting better at lying! Wait. Should I be happy about that? Well, at least I'm still sincere, happy me, so I guess so._

"Well, it happens that I feel uncomfortable hearing it too!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

Mimi stormed off towards the doors leading out of the dining room, and so did Tai. Before opening the doors to exit, they dramatically glared at each other, then opened the doors and stormed out.

Emp. and Head Manager Gennai chuckled. Emp. said, "These young people are so interesting!"

_What's going on?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

Emp. and I walked out of the dining room. "Gennai, notify everyone. No matter where they are, at home, at school, or outside, so long as they look intimate with each other, promptly report back. Hmm. They thought that I wouldn't be able to tell. Those two are too naïve. Pass the orders!"

"Yes."

"No matter who it is, as long as they've taken a photo…"

"They'll be generously rewarded."

" One photo…" Emp. said.

"275,000 yen." I said.

"Two photos…"

"550,000 yen."

"Three photos…"

"Of course, 825,000 yen."

"So generous?"

"Well, Emp.'s always generous."

"Then, okay. I'll deduct it from your salary."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

Mimi and Tai were in the same car, getting ready head towards the school. I knocked on the car's window. Tai rolled it down, the both of them looking at me curiously.

"Mimi, Tai, both of you, don't fight in the car again, okay? Be polite to each other, get along nicely with each other…" Tai rolled up the window.

_Teasing Tai and Mimi is going to be so much fun._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I couldn't even speak to Taichi when I saw him in the square today. It seems as if everyone's watching us. _Sigh. I just wanted to say a sentence to him. Is this our fate? To only distantly see each other forever? I miss Taichi._

We kept hearing the sound of cameras clicking behind us as we got into the car to head back to the Takuya family mansion.

"Master Yagami, Miss Takuya, are you ready to go home?" Head Manager Gennai asked.

"About that, I would like to go window-shopping, then go back home. Is that possible?"

"Master Yagami, how do you feel about that? Should I send Master Yagami back first then accompany Miss Takuya in window-shopping?"

"It's alright. Since someone wants to walk around, I'll accompany her. Otherwise, Emp. won't be happy."

"Okay."

Head Manager Gennai insisted on accompanying us, so I grabbed a dress and pretended to be going to try it on in the dressing room. Once inside, I dialed Taichi's handphone number.

"Hello?"

"Taichi, it's me." I whispered. "Just randomly choose a piece of clothing and bring it into the dressing room."

"Hey, this place only sells women's clothing." He whispered, a hint of laughter in his voice, "How do you expect me to try them on?"

"Just do it, okay?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Hey!" However, Mimi had already hung up.

I marched to the second floor, with Head Manager Gennai following me closely. I walked around, then grabbed a random dark blue long sleeved shirt.

"Master Yagami, this store only sells women's clothing."

"I know, but it looks pretty good." I held up the shirt to my body. "Maybe I'll try it on. What? I can't?" Head Manager Gennai shook his head. I walked into the main corridor of the dressing room. (A/N : The dressing room has two parts. The main corridor is covered by a curtain. In the main corridor are two dressing rooms, also covered by a curtain.) Mimi ran into my arms. I hugged her tightly.

"So you had a motive when you suggested window-shopping."

"Well, Head Manager Gennai is the kind of person who adheres strictly to the master and servant etiquette, so he's unlikely to come bursting in. I am Emp.'s granddaughter after all. He's crafty, so of course, I can be crafty too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

I could hear everything they were saying from outside the curtain leading into the dressing room's corridor.

"Finally, we have some time alone together."

I couldn't stand it any longer. My hand inched closer to the curtain that acted as the dressing room door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

My lips were inching closer to Mimi's.

I was kissing her when Gennai suddenly said, "Miss Takuya, are you ready yet?"

"Almost… almost. I'll come out soon."

"Then do you require the Sales Clerk to help you?"

"There's no need."

"Master Yagami, are you ready yet?"

"I'm very good!"

We smiled at each other, then realised what might happen next. We ran into different dressing rooms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

I was about to enter the dressing room's corridor when Miss Takuya burst out, wearing a dress.

"How does it look? Nice?"

"Yes."

Then Master Yagami walked out, wearing a dark blue shirt with a v-neck (it opened till the top half of his torso. (A/N : Imagine it!)

"How does it look? Does it suit me?"

"Master Yagami, it looks a little too tight."

"I think so too." He walked back into the dressing room.

"I also think that this dress doesn't suit me." Miss Takuya said, also walking back into the dressing room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I was talking to Taichi via a video conference call. _Sigh. If only we could talk to each other face-to-face._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was talking to Mimi when she fell asleep.

"What, you just fell asleep like that?" _She looks cute when she sleeps. _"Mimi. Forget it. You had a tiring day. Night, Meems." I didn't know what made me to it, but I kissed her face on the phone screen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

"Emp., after much observation, I have discovered that Master Yagami and Miss Takuya are intimate with each other, but when others are around, they stop and even pretend to dislike each other. So far, no one has taken any intimate photos of them. I think that even if they are shown evidence, they will still deny it."

"I think so too. However, I pick hard tasks to accomplish."

"Yes. The harder the task, the more willpower Emp. has to fight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

School was going to start soon. I stood at a corridor, fidgeting with my phone, when it rang.****

"Hello?"

"Taichi, it's me. Behind you." I looked behind me. Mimi was standing there.

"Mimi, we're just in-front of each other." I chuckled.

"Well, just in-case."

I was about to reply when a girl with short red hair stopped between us. She looked at Mimi, then at me. "May I ask where the administration office is?"

"Go downstairs and turn left."

"Thank you." She left.

"That was close. I thought we were going to be caught. However, that female student looks as if she doesn't know us." Mimi said.

"Maybe she's a transfer student. That's why she doesn't know where the administration office is."

"She's pretty though. I wonder what class she's in."

"Mimi, I have been thinking about this for the past few days. Let's not pretend anymore. We can't fool Emp. like this, and it'll also cause problems for us." I walked till I was on her right.

"Then what do we do? If Emp. knows that we're together, then he'll force us to get engaged. Do you want to marry me?"

_I want to marry you, and spend forever with you. _Mimi turned to look at me. I turned to look at her. We hung up. "It's not that bad to be married to you. I've been thinking these past few days that if Emp. wants us to be engaged, let's become engaged. And because I don't want you to marry anyone else." We smiled at each other blissfully.

"Then what about your dream? If you're engaged to me, you have to become the successor. Then you won't be able to accomplish your dream.

"Anyway, it's just an engagement. We haven't graduated yet. Emp. won't want me to take over the Takuya family Company immediately. Perhaps in this period of time, I can change Emp.'s mind."

"I won't get engaged to you. I know grandpa's personality very well. He won't give up on what he wants done. So Taichi, if you compromise even once, your future will be controlled by him. I like you, so I won't compromise so easily. I'll fight against grandpa."

"Mimi, you really are Emp.'s granddaughter. What you said just now is the same as what Emp. would say."

"Really?"

"Yes. So I guess I have to listen to you." I pulled her into a hug.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Students, this is our new transfer student. I'll ask her to introduce herself, okay?" We clapped.

"Hello everyone. I'm Takenouchi Sora. I'm very happy to be able to be in this class. I hope that I can be good friends with everyone."

"Okay, Sora, please take the empty seat beside Takuya Mizuki. Miss Takuya, you don't mind, do you?"

"I don't." I smiled.

"That's good. Okay Sora, please sit."

_What a coincidence. The girl who asked us for directions is in my class._

She stood up while the teacher was talking. The teacher didn't notice. "I forgot to bring my textbook, could you share yours with me?"

"Of course." She sat down beside me.

"Hey, are you Takuya family's granddaughter, Takuya Mizuki?"

"Yes. Just call me Mimi or Meems. Are you the person who designed these awesome uniforms?"

"Yes. I'm glad you like them. I'm happy to meet you, Meems."

"Me too, Sor."

"Sor?"

"I can give you another nickname, if you want." I blushed.

"No, it's fine. I like it, Meems." She smiled.

(Later)

"You're also adopted? What a coincidence! I am too!" I told Sora. We had been chatting ever since she came over to share textbooks with me. "Then, have you ever thought about finding your birth parents?"

"Yes, but I'm quite used to my present life now, so. However, it won't be that bad to find them too. Then there'll be more people in my family for me to love and for them to love me. How about you? You found your grandfather, how does it feel?"

"It's complicated. Sometimes I'm happy, sometimes I'm not. However, I'm already accustomed to being here."

"Oh. When's your birthday?"

"Mine's on the 24th of July. I only found out about it after I entered the Takuya family."

"My birthday's on the 24th of July too!"

"Really? That's great!"

"This necklace," She showed me her necklace. It had the crest of Love on it. It looked like a heart, only that one side was drawn in a thick line, and the other side was filled and had a large circle enclosing a smaller circle inside. "I had it before I got adopted. I think it must have been the only thing I have from my real family."

"Me too! My necklace's different though." I showed her my necklace.

"The crest of Sincerity, nice! Hey, Meems, what do you like to do?"

"Singing, shopping..."

"Really? I like playing tennis. I used to like soccer, but I like tennis more now." _She likes soccer like Taichi… _"Anyway, even though our interests are different, we seem to get along really well, so this proves that opposites do attract! I think we'll be great friends."

"Definitely!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Yagami Taichi, open the door now!" I heard Mimi's voice, and what seemed like angry pounding on the poor door. I opened the door. Mimi had a weird expresstion on her face. Then I got what she was going to do. Mimi walked in. "You better explain what you meant on the way to school!"

"Don't think that because you're Emp.'s granddaughter, I'm scared of you!" I shouted, just loud enough for anyone who was eavesdropping to hear.

"Not afraid?"

"Yes, I'm not afraid of you. So what are you going to do about it?"

"I think it's safe to talk now." She whispered.

"I found it fun though." I whispered back.

"I think grandpa won't be that easily fooled."

I put my arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry. Didn't you say that Emp. will eventually get tired of spying on us?" We looked into each other's eyes. Our faces got closer together, and she closed her eyes. Then, instead of kissing her, I hugged her. "How this for 'exciting and passionate moments'?" I chuckled.

"Yagami Taichi!" She mocked slapped me on the arm, blushing madly, then hugged me.

"Big brother…"

We moved apart quickly.

"Hikari, why didn't you knock before entering? It's not polite."

"Big brother, Mimi, there seems to be trouble. Head Manager Gennai says that Emp.'s looking for us urgently."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Head Manager Gennai, what important matter would cause the Takuya family's exclusive legal consultant, Jim, to come?" Yamato asked.

We – Taichi, Yamato, Takeru, Hikari and I – were wondering what had happened. Emp. was urgently calling for us.

"What's so serious? Did the Takuya family Company have a financial crisis?" Takeru asked.

"No. Something even more serious happened." Head Manager Gennai replied.

"Head Manager Gennai, just say it, what happened?" Hikari asked.

"The real Takuya Mizuki has appeared."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
SUSPENSE.

Each chapter is covering more content, so it might end in less than 10 chapters.

Are they too out of character? Please answer.

It's still a **MICHI**! And **SORATO**'s coming up too!

Oh, and I guess I have to make changes to Sora's age. Sora is now 18 years old, just like Mimi. .

Oh, and credits to xReadItAndWeepx. I got Mimi's birthday from a chapter, Zodiac, in her story, 100 Snapshots. I hope you don't mind.

Enjoy!


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 23  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"'The real Takuya Mizuki has appeared? What does that mean?" I asked.

"Isn't Mimi Takuya Mizuki? Oh. I got it. Could it be that impersonators have come? You guys can just send them away. Why make such a big deal out of it?" Takeru asked.

"Young masters and young ladies, if we haven't already investigated thoroughly, we wouldn't ask all of you to come." Gennai said, handing Hikari a brown envelope. She opened it, then each of us grabbed a photograph.

_She's pretty cute. Yamato. What are you thinking about at such a crucial moment?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I looked down at the photograph in my hands. "She's… Takenouchi Sora."

"Yes. She was recently transferred to Miss Tachikawa's class. We discovered that her family background was similar to Miss Tachikawa's, so we felt suspicious, and made a throughout investigation."

"She has the same birthmark as Mimi." Yamato said, looking at the photo.

"Mimi, is her birthmark the same as yours?" Hikari asked.

"The same place, the same shape. How is that possible?" I looked at Taichi.

"How is this evidence? Photographs can be faked. Hence, there is no conclusive evidence to just say from this photograph that this girl is Takuya Mizuki. I think this is too ridiculous." Taichi said.

"Yes. I agree with Tai. There were women who posed as Takuya Mizuki to cause a disturbance. The news reports also talked about Takuya Mizuki. So, it's not hard for this woman to find out where Takuya her birthmark is. I can't believe it, unless there's stronger evidence." Yamato said.

"Evidence?" I said, remembering Sora's necklace. "Where's grandpa? I need to see him."

"Emp. also wants to see you guys." Head Manager Gennai walked away, and we followed him to grandpa's room.

"Grandpa…"

"Is it true that the real Takuya Mizuki has appeared?" Takeru asked.

"Wrong."

We heaved a sigh of relief. "Mimi, don't worry anymore. Emp. just said that it's wrong." Hikari said.

"Mimi's identity is wrong. Mimi isn't my granddaughter. Takenouchi Sora is my real granddaughter."

"I don't believe it. Where's the evidence?" Taichi asked.

"She has the necklace with the crest of Love on it. It was the first gift I had given my granddaughter. It was specially designed, like the rest of your crests. There's only one in the world. The day that Mimi came, she didn't have that necklace. I thought that it had been lost after so many years. I never expected that the person with this necklace would appear."

"Grandpa, I have the necklace with the crest of Sincerity. It's the same as my birthmark. Why would it be the crest of Love?"

"We wanted our granddaughter to be sincere and to love and be loved."

"I still don't see how it…" Taichi started saying.

"Taichi. I've seen the necklace. It's really like that." I said. "Grandpa, there should be other evidence, right?"

"Gennai, tell them."

"Takenouchi Sora's DNA has been sent for testing to confirm that she is Emp.'s granddaughter. If you five don't believe it, I can show you the test results."

"Then what about Mimi? Didn't she already go through verification?" Taichi asked. "Don't tell me that her DNA and Emp.'s are a match too?"

"When I saw Mimi, I saw that she resembled Yuriko too much. She also had the birthmark, so I decided that she must be my granddaughter. Thus, I didn't go and get her DNA tested. All of this is my fault."

"Emp., this is too sudden. Is this part of a plan of yours?" Taichi asked.

There was a short period of silence. Then Head Manager Gennai spoke. "Emp. wouldn't joke about such things."

"Fine. Then if it's really a mistake, then what's going to happen to Mimi?"

Grandpa stood up. "I plan on sending Mimi back to the Tachikawa family. Mimi, you're free. You can go to Brazil to look for your parents."

"Emp., do you really plan to drive Mimi away?"

"Wasn't she looking for ways to leave before? I'm helping her now, aren't I? Mimi, return to the Tachikawas. I will compensate you and your family. My Mizuki, she'll return to my side. I will make my successor marry her and look after her forever."

I ran out before I started crying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

Taichi glared at Emp., then ran out after Mimi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I caught Mimi before she could run any further. "Mimi."

"Taichi, I just want some alone time to calm down. I'll return to my room first." She started to cry. "I'm alright, don't worry."

She slid her hand out of mine, running away. I clenched my fists.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_So, this isn't my home after all. Grandpa… isn't my family member. How did it turn out like this? Then, where are my real family members? I had everything. Now everything is a lie. I have nothing._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

I grabbed Taichi's wine bottle away from him. "Now is not the time to drink away your depression. What do you plan to do?"

"Honestly, I still can't accept it. After all, it might be one of Emp.'s plans."

"I understand how you're feeling. However, like what Gennai said, how could Emp. joke about something like that? So, no matter how much you don't want to accept it, you still have to."

"Hey, Tai. Didn't you want to leave with Mimi? However, Emp.'s sending Mimi to Brazil. Is there another meaning to this?" Takeru said.

"Oh gosh. Will this be like last time? Big brother, will you be forced to marry Emp.'s real granddaughter?" Hikari asked.

"Oh, that Sora girl?" Takeru asked.

"He better not do that. I don't have the patience to stay again." Taichi said, panicking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I knocked on Mimi's room door. No answer. I called her phone. No answer. I waited outside her room. She never came out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Takeru's POV**

Mimi didn't come for breakfast, and Taichi hardly touched his food. Emp. didn't seem to care.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

Mimi finally came out of the mansion to head for school. "Mimi, thank goodness. I almost thought that you weren't going to school." She didn't reply. I held her hand. She looked to see if the security guards were looking.

_Mimi, no matter what, I'll always be there to protect you. Believe me._

Then suddenly, she threw my hand aside, ran, and then entered the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_I'm sorry, Taichi. I'm feeling very confused now._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

We were heading towards our classes. Mimi was in-front of me, walking slowly.

"I'll fetch you after school. You must wait for me." I told her. She stopped, then continued walking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Hikari's POV**

Big brother was still not eating much during dinner, and Mimi didn't even come down for dinner.

"Gennai, Mimi still doesn't want to eat?"

"Yes. And according to the school, she hasn't eaten lunch. That means that she hasn't eaten for a day."

"Forget it. If she doesn't want to eat, it's her problem."

Big brother stood up and left.

"We're also full." Yamato said. Takeru, Yamato and I stood up and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I walked into Mimi's room carrying a tray filled with food. I placed it on the table beside her.

"Mimi. I brought some porridge. Will you eat some?" She didn't reply. "Mimi, if you don't eat, it'll be detrimental to your health."

I held her hand. She looked at me. "Mimi, can't I share your pain with you? Am I not worthy of your trust?" She turned away.

"I know that you don't feel well. However, don't avoid me too! I've told you before that my future has you in it. No matter what happens, I'll always be with you. Do you understand, Mimi? Trust me!"

"Will you leave?"

"No!"

She stood up, then shouted. "Didn't you hear? I told you to leave!"

I stood up and hugged her. She started sobbing. "You guys said that my parents weren't my parents, and now, when I'm finally used to the Takuya family being my home, you guys say that I got it wrong, that it isn't my home. I'm not Tachikawa Mimi, I'm not Takuya Mizuki, who am I? Where's my home, where's my family? Why do I always feel that what belongs to me doesn't really belong to me? Taichi, I'm sorry. I feel really sad. I'm not as strong as I thought I was. I'm so afraid."

"Mimi, don't be afraid. I'll always be with you. Don't worry. I won't let anyone harm you." Then finally, she hugged me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

"Hello Miss Takuya. Emp. will see you soon. I'm the Head Manager, Gennai."

"Hello."

He led me into the mansion, where the staff greeted me, then to Emp.'s room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Emp. has talked to that girl for over an hour. He can't really have taken her as his granddaughter, right?" Takeru asked.

"What will happen to Mimi? Will she really be sent to Brazil?" Hikari asked.

I held Mimi's hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Sora walked towards me. "Meems, I'm sorry. I didn't know that things will turn out like this. I didn't expect that I'm really Emp.'s real granddaughter."

"Don't worry. It's grandpa- Emp.'s mistake."

"Emp. has ordered that Miss Takuya will reside here. Later on, he'll announce the good news between Master Yagami and Miss Takuya." Head Manager Gennai said. "Hence, within this period of time, Master Yagami and Miss Takuya, please develop feelings for each other."

"Where's Emp.? I want to talk to him." Taichi said.

"Okay. Please come with me."

Taichi looked at me, then left with Head Manager Gennai.

The rest of us looked at each other in silence, until I said, "Sorry, I'm not feeling well. I'll return to my room to rest."

"Okay." Yamato said. I left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

"Are you Hikari?" I looked at the girl with short, brown hair. She didn't reply.

"And you're Takeru?" I asked the shorter of the two blond guys. He looked at Hikari.

"You're Yamato?" I asked the older, handsome blond guy. "Correct?"

He gave me a slight smile. "Nice to meet you. I'm Takenouchi Sora."

"You look familiar." Yamato said, walking towards me. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

"And how many times have I heard that pick-up line?"

"Mimi might be leaving because of her, and you're trying to woo her?" Takeru asked, looking annoyed.

"I'm not. I just find that she looks very familiar."

"Right. You find every beautiful woman familiar." Hikari retorted.

"Fine, whatever." He walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Emp., I've already told you about my plans. I don't want to become the successor, and I don't want my marriage to determine if I'll be the successor. Maybe Takenouchi Sora is your real granddaughter, but I don't want to marry her. I hope that you'll respect my wishes."

"Taichi, do you know that I won't take the words that you have just said seriously. And that's because if I take them seriously, do you know what will happen? Okay, go. Think about it. I chose you to become my successor after thinking about it seriously. For me to change my mind, I need a satisfactory reason. I won't accept the reasons that you've just said."

"Emp., I-"

"Okay!" He shouted. "Don't challenge my limits again. I won't allow you to go like this."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"What are you three looking for me for? It's so rare."

Hikari, Takeru and Yamato were sitting in-front of me.

"Mimi, you aren't planning to pack your bags and leave without telling us, right?" Yamato asked.

"I'm not grandpa's granddaughter anymore. If I continue staying here, won't I be waiting for them to chase me away?"

"Mimi, don't go." Takeru said. "The Takuya family is so big. Just supporting you won't make it collapse. Mimi, you mustn't go."

"Right. There are so many rooms here, and I think Emp. wouldn't be that cold-hearted as to make you leave." Yamato added. "And, if you go, what will happen to Tai? That fellow can't survive without you."

"Mimi, you're staying, right? Big brother will definitely not let you leave the Takuya family by yourself." Hikari added. "Furthermore, if you leave, he'll definitely leave with you. If Emp. finds out, the both of you will be in trouble."

"Correct. I'm afraid that Tai will be rash. If I'm not wrong, he almost fought with Emp. today. Emp. also made it clear that he can't leave." Yamato said.

"Mimi, if you leave, big brother will be forced to marry Sora. Do you really want to surrender your happiness? Have you forgotten what you and big brother went through just to get where you guys are today? Do you really want to give up like this?"

"And it's not only for Tai. All of us don't want to see you go. After being with us for such a long time, you've become like a little sister to me, and a big sister to Takeru and Hikari. So if you leave, it's like losing a sister to us."

"Mimi, please don't go." Takeru and Hikari said in unison.

"Thank you. I'll think about it again."

I was about to enter Taichi's room when I stopped. _I shouldn't add to his burden. Emp. won't let him leave. I shouldn't make him worry more._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"Mizuki is moving into the Takuya family mansion tomorrow. Help her by bringing her back to move her things here." Then I spotted Mimi walking along the second floor. She could hear us from here. "Both of you must get along nicely."

"Yes, grandpa. If I have anything else that I'm unsure of, I'll ask Taichi."

"Ask as much as you want. If he ignores you, tell grandpa."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Let's go." I said to her in my most emotionless voice, then quickly walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Do you like the story so far? Is it getting too boring? ._.


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 24  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I was walking around in the garden, thinking. _Must I really leave? If I leave, Taichi, what will you do? Emp. won't let you leave, and you'll be forced to marry Sora. I'm not going to let that happen. You and I have already gone through so much. I won't give up. However… what can I do? Taichi… I can't feel sorry for myself. I'm Tachikawa Mimi. I won't give up. Taichi, don't worry. I know what I have to do._

I walked into grandpa's room.

"Mimi, what is it?"

"Grandpa… Emp., may I ask you for a favor?"

"What is it? Say it and I'll see."

"Will you let me stay with the Takuya family?"

"That's strange. I thought you wanted to go to Brazil to see your parents? Don't tell me that you don't want to live with them anymore?"

"I… I'm already used to living here. I want to stay here. I could work for you! I could clean, cook, anything, for you. Just let me stay here, please?"

"Hmm. In the past, I treated you as my granddaughter. That was a mistake. However, it's undeniable that I quite like you, little girl. How about this, I promise you that you can stay… as a maid.

_What?_

"Fine. I promise you."

"Gennai, I'll hand over to you the responsibility of telling Mimi her job details."

"Okay. Maid Mimi, what you need to do next is to move out of your current room, as it's really Miss Takuya's. Your job is to help Miss Takuya adapt to living in the Takuya family. After that, your job is to ensure that Master Yagami and Miss Takuya's engagement banquet goes without a hitch. Okay, go." I walked away slowly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"Emp., how did you find my performance?"

"You…"

Then Mimi turned back to look at us. "What are you looking at? Go and get your uniform!" Gennai shouted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I was walking along the corridor when my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Meems, it's Yolei. How's your life as a rich young lady going?"

"It's okay."

"If you don't call me, how am I supposed to know how you're doing? If there's anything, you have to tell me."

"Yolei, I'm busy. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Fine, Meems. Get it solved soon, okay? If you need me, just call me. Bye bye."

"Bye bye."

I hung up. _I'm sorry Yolei. I lied to you. I just don't know how to explain it to you._

"Miss Tachikawa." I turned back. Head Manager Gennai was standing there.

"There's no need to call me 'Miss Tachikawa'. Just call me Mimi or Meems."

"Oh, you see, this is a habit of mine. Okay. That's good. Maid Mimi, do you require me to dispatch a few staff members to help you switch rooms?"

"There's no need."

"Good. Miss Takuya will be looking at her room soon. I hope that you'll be able to move your belongings out as soon as possible so that Miss Takuya can move in immediately tomorrow."

"I'll clear it quickly."

"Thank you."

I walked away. A maid greeted me, saying, "Miss Takuya."

Then I heard Gennai speak from behind me to the maid. "She isn't Miss Takuya anymore. Please don't call her 'Miss Takuya'. Her status is the same as yours. She is Maid Mimi, understood?"

"Understood."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Mimi, why did you become a maid here?"

"Well, you know. If I didn't become a maid here, I wouldn't have an excuse to stay here."

"Mimi, I don't want you to suffer like this." I hugged her. "Do you want to move out first? I'll help you find a house outside. And, even if you want to go to Brazil to find your parents, I won't oppose. I just don't want you to suffer like this."

"I don't want to go. I'm afraid that after I go, you'll be forced to marry Sora."

"Mimi, I won't marry Sora. I won't let Emp. control my life with marriage. I won't compromise. You have to believe me, have faith in me. Even if I don't protest in front of Emp., it doesn't mean that I don't have any other ideas."

"I believe in you. I just don't want to be too far away from you. I only want to be by your side. It's that simple. Can't I?" She looked at me so sincerely.

"I feel so ashamed that I can't help you. I'll figure out a way to, okay, Mimi?"

"Okay. Anyway, Taichi, don't worry. It's not so bad being a maid. Atleast, when we're together, there won't be people staring at us. Isn't that good? Hey, don't you dare think that I'm so weak!"

Our lips started to come nearer to each other.

"Sorry, to interrupt both of you." We turned. Sora was standing there. "Taichi, show me around the house."

"Let me get this straight. Even if you're Takuya Mizuki, you don't have the right to control me. Emp. might have said that we're getting married, but let me tell you, I choose my own partner."

"Sor, I would like to talk to you alone." Mimi said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

We sat in the garden. "I would like to ask you to go to grandpa- Emp., to refuse being married to Taichi."

"Why do you want me to go to grandpa and refuse?"

"That's because if you don't, grandpa will want you to get married to Taichi."

"Oh. So?"

"So? Are you willing to marry someone you don't like? You don't want your own partner to be decided by grandpa- Emp., right?"

"Well, of course no one wants their partner to be chosen for them. I'm not an exception. However, if it's Taichi, I wouldn't mind."

"So… you… Taichi?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

"That's right. From the first day of school in which I saw Taichi, I fell in love with him." I said, looking away from her. Well, I have to admit, this is kind of fun. However, poor Meems. I still hope that we'll be able to be best friends after this whole thing is over though. "Today, when grandpa announced that I'll be engaged with Taichi, I felt very happy. Being able to marry the person that I like, even if it's chosen for me, I'm okay with it."

She stood up. "You can't marry Taichi!"

"Why?"

"That's because… because we're already together!"

"Really? However, I heard from grandpa that you two are always fighting. Didn't you cancel your engagement with Taichi earlier?"

"That's because…"

"You don't have to explain to me. I don't care how things are between Taichi and you. What's important is that grandpa is on my side. If I want to marry Taichi… I believe that in time, he'll fall in love with me."

"Takenouchi Sora! What kind of person are you? And I thought you actually wanted to be good friends with me. Were you pretending then?"

"If you're so afraid of Taichi being with me, then I advise you to keep him near you. Or you could go and tell grandpa that both of you are actually in love with each other." I walked away.

"Takenouchi Sora!"

"You must call me Miss Takuya!"

"Takenouchi Sora, I'm declaring war! I won't give Taichi up to someone like you, and I won't let him marry someone like you!"

"I'll be waiting."

_Sigh. If only she knew that I'm pretending now, but I wasn't pretending then._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_Takenouchi Sora, I won't lose to you!_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Takeru's POV**

"Don't you find that Emp. letting Mimi stay as a maid is a bit weird?" Yamato asked.

"What's weird about it? Emp.'s the one who mixed up Mimi's identity, he has a responsibility towards her." I replied.

"And even though Mimi isn't Emp.'s granddaughter, everyone can tell that he quite likes her. So, using this as a reason for her to stay isn't weird." Hikari added.

"That's a possible explanation, but there's also another possible explanation. Emp. has just found his real granddaughter, and wants her to marry Tai. So naturally, Mimi who is in love with Tai and who Tai is in love with is a thorn in his side, so he should be doing whatever he can to chase her away, right?" Yamato said.

"What Yamato said makes sense. Emp. should be able to see that Mimi and Tai are in love with each other. So now, Tai being with Sora is the biggest obstacle for Mimi." I said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"Master Ishida, Emp.'s asleep. Please say what you want to say tomorrow." Head Manager Gennai began walking away.

"No. I didn't come to look for Emp., I came to look for you."

We sat down on the sofa. "I've already told you why I think Emp. shouldn't allow Mimi to stay. Now, I want you to tell me Emp.'s real reason for letting Mimi stay."

"I'm sorry Master Ishida, but I can't tell you. I remember when I studied in England's Orthodox Butler Institution, our first rule was that you absolutely cannot divulge the Master's secrets."

"Please, this isn't any secret. I'm just asking you if you know anything."

"Then there is something I can tell Master Ishida."

"Good."

He leaned over and whispered into my ear. "Emp.'s first rule for the staff is that whoever divulges secrets will…" He made a sawing motion on his neck.

"Fine. I see that you aren't willing to tell me anything. However, from your attitude, Emp. is definitely planning something." I got up to leave.

"Master Ishida. I think both of us know that even if Emp. is doing something wrong, we can't stop him, but wait for him to stop it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I had spent the night sleeping on a mattress on the floor in a tiny room. I woke up to the sound of my alarm ringing. Then finally, I managed to find the snooze button, and went back to sleep.

"Mimi, wake up!"

I sat up sleepily. "What?"

"Today is your first day being a maid. Don't tell me you want the Master to wait for you to wake up before being served?"

"So, is it that I eat breakfast first then work, or the vice versa?"

"Breakfast?" Her voice when high-pitched. "You overslept and you're still asking me about breakfast? If you want to eat breakfast, please wake up at 4.30 a.m., okay? And according to the Takuya family rules, more than five errors will cause you to be expelled from the Takuya family. Your oversleeping today counts as an error."

"What?" I got out of the mattress. "That's too unreasonable!"

"I'll give you ten minutes. After ten minutes, gather at the hall. If you're late again… you know."

I changed into the maid uniform, then ran to the hall, where they were checking the maids' attire.

"Mimi, today is your first day working here. I hope that you'll learn the ropes quickly. For the Takuya family servants, what's most important is efficiency, attitude and appearance. Tell me the Takuya family's servants' creed."

"Um. For us to be the Takuya family's servant we must behave honorably. Um…"

"What?"

"We must always keep our appearance neat, be full of energy, and be very efficient in order to provide the highest quality of service."

"Good job. Emp. has explained that since you're still studying, he will fund you till your graduation. So, when your daytime job is done, you can go to school. After school, come back and continue working. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Louder!"

"YES!"

"Also, your future duties are to wait upon Miss Takuya. This job is best suited to you, since among us, you understand Miss Takuya's wants and needs the best."

I walked into my previous room, holding a tray of food. _I must be strong. I can't lose to Takenouchi Sora. I must show restraint. Tachikawa Mimi, you can do it!_

I put the tray down on the table, and handed Sora her tea. She took a sip from it. "Too cold, brew it again."

"You…" I decided to leave it, and went to brew it again.

"It's too hot! How am I supposed to drink this? Brew it again."

"You…" And so, I had to brew it over and over again.

_You evil Miss Takuya. I'll go brew it again, I'll brew it until you can't drink it down anymore. Let's see what other reason you have to punish me._

When I came back, no one was around.

_Takenouchi Sora, I won't lose to you!_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sora has her reasons. That's why she's a little out-of-character.

HOWEVER, I HAVE TO ASK. ARE THE OTHER CHARACTERS OUT-OF-CHARACTER?


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 25

**Taichi's POV**I saw Mimi standing there in her school uniform, looking at the cars. I hugged her from behind. "Why aren't you getting into the car?"

"With my status now, I can't ride the same car as you. I'll just take the bus." She walked off, but I grabbed her wrist.

"You want to ride the bus, right? I'll accompany you."

"Why? I'm not throwing a tantrum."

"I know. I want to accompany you."

"Aren't you both going to get into the car?" Sora called. "I don't mind us sitting together. Or… do you guys not like me? Then I won't force you guys."

Mimi and I exchanged looks, then got into the car. Mimi sat in the front.

"Why aren't you guys talking?" Sora asked.

We didn't reply.

The car stopped. We got out of the car, and Sora was greeted by the Headmaster. _Bootlicker._"Let's go." I told Mimi. She didn't seem like she was brave enough to go in, so I put my arm around her and guided her in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**I walked into the classroom. They were offering Sora the same things they had offered me on the first day of school. _Bootlickers._

"May I ask-"

"Student, your seat has been moved to the back. This is Miss Takuya's seat now. Anyway, you have never seriously studied before. Does a change in seating position really affect anything? Go."

"Teacher, please don't be so rude to Mimi."

"Oh. Sorry. Student, may I trouble you to take the seat at the back?"

_Sometimes, it seems as if Sora has a split personality._Everyone was sucking up to Sora during lunch break. _These people are so fake. Sucking up to whoever has money and power. Good thing I didn't stay friends with them. _They left the room. _I'm so hungry, and my paycheck hasn't come yet. What to do? Eating here costs 1,234 yen. How can I afford that? I should just wait till I get back to the Takuya family mansion to eat. _Hikari came in, put down a lunch box in-front of me, saying that she bought it earlier, but didn't feel like eating it now, so it's for me, and then said that she had to leave.

"Bye Hikari. Thank you." I smiled at her.

I dug in. Then, Takeru came in, holding two plastic bags filled with food.

"Mimi, the girls in my class just finished their cooking lesson, so there's a lot of food in here. Anyway Mimi, I have to go and find Hikari. Bye!"

"Bye Takeru. Thank you." I smiled at him. _Those two had the same idea. Cute. They both obviously bought all these for me. Lovebirds and liars._~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**I was going to give Mimi some meal tickets to use for her meal, but then I saw her with a whole pile of food in-front of her. I walked out, running into Tai. I passed him the meal tickets. "These meal tickets expire today. Go and eat with Mimi, okay?" I walked away, then said loudly. "I'll give you two some space. I won't interrupt."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**I had brought two lunchboxes, one for Mimi, one for me. I walked into the classroom, and saw a huge pile of food in-front of her. "Mimi, I was afraid that you wouldn't have anything to eat. However, now I see that you have more food then me. Did Santa Claus arrive early?"

"Unless you mean Santa Claus as in Hikari and Takeru, no. They're so sweet." She ran towards me, then stopped in-front of me. "They pretended that they couldn't eat it, so they gave it to me."

"Yamato passed me these meal tickets just now. I think they didn't want you to feel embarrassed and they didn't want you to starve, so they did that."

"I really thank you guys a lot."

"Princess Mimi, what's there to thank us for?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**"It's rare for Taichi to be here for dinner. Let us three take this chance to better understand each other." Emp. said.

Taichi, grandpa and Sora were sitting around the dining table, while the maids and I stood on the side, watching.

"Yes, grandpa."

"Mizuki, how was school today?"

"It was fine, I guess." I replied.

Everyone turned to look at me. Then, Sora turned back to grandpa, then she said, "Grandpa, I think it's better if you call me Sora. If you call me Mizuki, me and someone else won't know who you're talking to."

"Anything you choose. I'll call you Sora from now on."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**I dropped my butter knife on purpose. "Oh no, I dropped my butter knife. Could you help me pick it up?"

Taichi picked it up, then put it on the table without looking at me. "Go get her a new butter knife."

Mimi got nudged by the other maid to do it. She took the butter knife from beside Taichi, then left to get a new butter knife.

"Taichi. I heard that you're good in history. Can I ask you a few questions about it later?" Mimi was still in hearing range.

"Taichi, Sora is having troubles with schoolwork. Eat your meal then help her with it."

Mimi came back with the new butter knife, then threw it on the table.

"Grandpa, since even this maid doesn't welcome me, I might as well leave! Even though the Takenouchi family doesn't compare to the Takuya family, at least the maids wouldn't dare to disrespect me."

"Then leave."

"Gennai."

"Yes. Maid Mimi, Emp. does not want you to disrupt our meals. Please leave." He started dragging Mimi away. Taichi stood up.

"Sit down!" Emp. shouted. "Don't make me say it twice."

Taichi glared at Emp. but refused to sit down. Then, Emp. said, "Gennai, book Mimi a plane ticket to Brazil tomorrow."

"Yes." Head Manager Gennai replied, pushing Mimi out of the room.

"Why do you think that you can threaten me by controlling Mimi's life?"

"Did I threaten you? That's weird. I thought you didn't like Mimi. You two often fight. How is sending her away a threat to you? I thought you would be the first person to be happy about this."

"Emp., you have always taken Mimi to be your granddaughter, and just because she's not your granddaughter anymore you treat her like this."

"Don't worry. Mimi is a sweet girl. I'll take good care of her."

"Listen carefully. Mimi isn't my granddaughter, and so she won't be marrying you. You better have feelings for Sora instead."

It was silent. Then, Yamato walked in, and I couldn't help but smile at him. He put a hand behind my chair. "Today's dinner looks good, and it just happens that I haven't eaten yet." He looked at me. "Do you mind me eating with you?"

"No."

"Sit down, eat and don't talk, lest I vent my anger on you." Emp. told Yamato.

Yamato sat down opposite me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**I looked at Yamato, then at Sora, and then I sat down, stunned. _There's something going on between them. _I smiled. _Ah, Yamato, my best friend, a chance to tease you, and this is a possible way to escape from becoming the successor and to be with Mimi freely. Do you want to be the successor though? Sigh._~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**I lied down on my mattress, not even changing out of the maid uniform, thinking about what happened. _Grandpa's too cruel, treating me like that. Then again, I'm not his granddaughter anymore. Treating me like that is understandable, I guess. The question is, why am I staying here and enduring this? Sigh. It's for Taichi's sake. Sigh. I'll just go to sleep now._I dreamt of Taichi teaching Sora about History. "Teacher, history is so boring. I don't want to learn it."

"If you don't want to learn about History, then what do you want to learn?"

She walked over to Taichi, and then started to try to seduce him. "Teacher, I just don't want to learn about history, okay?"

"Mimi, I'm sorry. I know that you're suffering for me, but…" He looked at Sora, "I can't resist! I know that you'll be my princess forever, but… I can't take it anymore!"

Then, it switched through many different ways of how Sora could seduce Taichi by getting him to teach her history.

I woke up. _No. Sora wouldn't do something like that. It's not part of her personality. Then again, it does seem like she's a completely different person at times… No. I have to trust Taichi, but still…_I ran to Taichi's door, and then knocked on it. "Taichi, it's me." No one answered. I pressed my ear to his door. "It's still early, he can't be asleep. Does this mean that Sora and him have…" I imagined Sora drugging his drink, wearing a revealing nightgown. "Oh my gosh, don't tell me that really happened." I turned behind, and saw Taichi and Sora standing there. "Oh, so there you both are!"

"Mimi, what are you doing?" Sora asked. "What 'really happened'?"

"I… I was just talking to myself. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh. I think so too. Why should I try to understand a maid who's talking to herself?"

"You…"

"Sora, go and rest." Taichi said.

"Taichi, I still have a few questions regarding History… could you teach me again tomorrow?"

"Sora, if there's so many questions regarding History, just go to Emp. instead. He can get some famous historian to teach you. If you want, he can even get Einstein to teach you." Then, he walked towards me. "Mimi, it's late. Get some rest, okay?"

Then, he whispered into my ear, "Trust me."

He went into my room. Sora walked off. Then, she accidentally tripped over my foot. I looked at her. Then, I looked at the back of the top of her thigh. Her shorts had ridden up a bit. And then, I realised something. "You don't have a birthmark!" She ran into her room, with me following her. Then, she ran into the bathroom, closing the door.

"You don't have a birthmark. You're a fake. You're not grandpa's granddaughter."

"Fine. Since you already know, I'll tell you. I'm not Emp.'s granddaughter."

"I'm going to tell grandpa!"

"Don't get too excited. Don't you want to know why I'm doing this?"

"Don't make me laugh. I don't want money. If I wanted money, the Takenouchi family has money too. Why should I eye the Takuya family's money? What I want is Taichi."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**_Actually, no. However, if this helps with the plan then… sigh. I really want to tell Mimi that I was just pretending, the real reason why, and that I want us to start over and try to be good friends._"Then you… if you're me…"

"That's right. If I pretend to be you, then grandpa will want me to marry Taichi."

"Fine! I'm going to tell grandpa, and expose you!"

"Okay, I'm fine with it. However, you should think through it carefully. If grandpa is angered… the person who gets chased out might be you." She walked away angrily. I came out of the bathroom. "Hey, is my birthmark stuck on correctly?"

She ran towards me, but I ran back inside the bathroom before she could get close to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**I marched into Emp.'s room, despite Head Manager Gennai's protests.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Did you hear me? I said that Sora's not your real granddaughter. She's a fake!" Grandpa looked at Gennai.

"Maid Mimi, what evidence do you base your claim on?" Gennai asked.

"I saw it! She has no birthmark. Plus, she admitted it to me herself. She's not Mizuki. Grandpa, we've been tricked by her! That 'birthmark' of hers is just a tattoo! If you don't believe me, I'll show you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**Gennai looked at me. "Maid Mimi! Let me tell you, Miss Takuya is from a rich family, so there is no reason why she would fake this."

She pushed Gennai away."Takenouchi Sora is pretending to be your granddaughter to get close to Taichi, that's what she said."

"Oh." Gennai said.

"What do you mean by 'oh'? If you don't believe me, you can follow me, and we'll go and confirm it with her." I shot Gennai a look.

"Maid Mimi, I understand how you're feeling, but you have to consider how your master is feeling. If you find the work too hard, don't worry about that. I can help you to arrange for another job, one that is more relaxed. I can understand how it feels to suddenly fall so low, but to want to try and ruin Master Yagami and Miss Takuya's relationship, isn't that a bit…"

"A bit what?"

"Just that… that…"

"That? That what?"

"That… forget it! You wouldn't understand it anyway."

"What are you trying to imply? Do you guys really think that I'm jealous of Sora, so I'm trying to slander her? Is that it?"

"Gennai." I pointed to my wrist, then pretended to yawn.

"Maid Mimi, if you have nothing else to say, would you please get out?"

"Fine. If you guys don't believe me, it's alright. However, I will find a way to prove that Takenouchi Sora is not the real Mizuki Takuya!" Gennai and I pretended to look disgusted, and looked away from her. "And, you guys' expressions are really disgusting!" She stormed out.

"Gennai, was that expression really very disgusting?"

"Yes."

"That's great!" I chuckled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
I do reply to reviews. :D

For those wondering why I edited it, it's because I found a *drum roll* a typo! *dramatic music plays*

O:


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 26  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I sat in my room, finally out of the maid uniform. _Now that I know that Takenouchi Sora is a fake, should I tell Taichi and the others, and discuss this with them? No. I don't have any evidence now, so I can't prove it. Even if Taichi and the others believe me, it wouldn't change anything. Also, this is a war between Takenouchi Sora and I. I need to find undisputable evidence to show everyone. That's right, I'm Emp.'s real granddaughter. I need to fight for my own identity._

(In the morning)

I entered Sora's room with a huge magnifying glass in my hand. I stopped outside her bedroom, holding the magnifying glass up to my eye. _Thankfully, grandpa didn't really send me to Brazil today._ _Takenouchi Sora, you DNA test report must have been faked. Just wait until I get some of your hair and send it for DNA testing. Then I'll be able to prove that you're a fake. _I looked through her room for a strand of hair. Thankfully, she wasn't in her room. I looked below the pillows. There was a notebook. Opening it, I read, 'Mimi, don't do it again. Love, Sora'. I looked behind me. No one was behind me. _Oh my gosh. She actually guessed that I would look through her room and her things. _I ran out of her room, only to run into Sora.

"I…"

"You were cleaning? Thank you." She walked into her room. _Annoying._

(The next day)

I saw Sora walking out of the classroom with a bunch of people. I had my camera ready. _Takenouchi Sora, the next class is gym. When you change, I'll take a photograph, and I'll have my evidence._ I followed her. Instead of walking in the direction of the changing rooms like the people who were surrounding her, she walked the other way. Then she saw me. "Oh, I forgot to tell you that grandpa prepared a private changing room for me." She walked off. _That's fine. If the chance doesn't come to me, I'll create the chance. Takenouchi Sora, I'll make you regret lying._

(Later that day)

I was dusting the main room when I saw Sora come down the stairs, then walk off. _I'll follow you like this. _Then, there was a sneeze. I had accidentally dusted the security guard.

"Sorry." I said, sheepishly. I was about to follow her again when Yamato called my name.

"Mimi, what are you sneaking around for?"

"Yamato, I have a question to ask you."

"Go ahead, ask it."

"What would make a girl undress willingly?"

He laughed. "You're asking the right person. However, why are you asking this?"

"Don't ask so much. Just tell me. I'll be really grateful."

"Mimi, what are you doing there?" Sora asked. _Darn it, I got called again. She looks strangely upset though. _"I'm thirsty. Please get me a drink."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

_There's something going on between them.  
_**  
**"Big brother, have you seen Mimi lately? What's she so busy with?" Hikari asked. Taichi, Takeru, Hikari and I were sitting in the garden. Taichi looked worried.

"I just saw Mimi. She was acting strangely, and even asked me some… weird questions. And she's been following Sora." I said.

_And I know that not because I have been following Sora._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I was following Sora in the garden. She sat down. _Why am I wasting so much energy, waiting for a chance to expose her? I could just grab a few strands of her hair, and then send it for DNA testing. _I snuck up behind her, then managed to grab a few strands of her hair. I placed my hand behind my back. She stood up.

"What are you doing?"

"No…Nothing."

"Who are you trying to kid? What's that in your hand?"

I showed her my left hand. "Nothing."

She held up my right hand. "Do you really think that getting a few strands of my hair really changes anything? Wait for your punishment!"

"I'm not afraid of you."

I got a lecture from the person-in-charge of the maids, Miss Mizuno (the person who woke me up on the first day of me being a maid), with Head Manager Gennai watching.

"Maid Mimi, if you're willing to apologise to Miss Takuya, perhaps we can skip your punishment." Head Manager Gennai said.

"I won't apologise to that liar."

He looked shocked. "Well, then we have to follow the Takuya family's servant's rules. By pulling your mistress's hair, you're disrespecting her. According to the rules, there are two ways of punishing you."

"One, there's the docking of pay for a month." Miss Mizuno said. "Second, there's isolation for a night to reflect on your actions. Right, Gennai?" She smiled sweetly at him. "I mean, right, Head Manager Gennai?"

"However, if you're willing to ask Master Yagami to help you, and Master Yagami agrees…"

"It's my own business. I won't trouble Taichi. Docking my pay for a month, or isolation, I'm okay with either of them."

"You!" The person-in-charge of the maids said, but she was pulled back by her hair by Head Manager Gennai.

I was sitting in a storage closet. _Takenouchi Sora! Not only did I not get any evidence against her, I've also been put under isolation. How infuriating! _My stomach growled. _Stop growling! Not eating one meal doesn't mean that you'll starve to death. I'm so hungry. I wonder if Taichi realised that I'm missing._ Suddenly, I heard the sound of Sora's voice. I looked through the window. Taichi was walking with Sora in the garden. He looked bored.

Suddenly, Sora fell, and Taichi caught her before she could land on the floor.

"You called me to come here, is there anything that you want to tell me?" Taichi asked, sounding emotionless.

"Nothing, really. I just found it suffocating in the mansion, so I wanted to walk with you." Taichi walked off. She ran after him.

_Takenouchi Sora must have did that on purpose! She knew that I was locked up in here, so she used Taichi to provoke me. Takenouchi Sora, stay away from Taichi!_

Suddenly, someone was knocking on the window. It was grandpa. "Mimi, what did you do to get locked up in there?"

"It's all your fake granddaughter's fault!"

"Hmm. Look at them. They seem to like each other. I'm sure that the marriage will succeed this time. Mimi, you must be relieved that you didn't fall for Taichi and you didn't get engaged with him." They were walking in the distance.

"Takenouchi Sora wants to get close to Taichi, that's why she's posing as your granddaughter! If you let them get engaged, you'll regret it!"

"Mimi, have you heard of the saying 'Jealousy rears its ugly head' by Shakespeare?"

"No!"

"Anyway, this quote doesn't seem to be by Shakespeare too. Mimi, but after not seeing you for awhile, you seem to have become ugly." He left. I pounded on the window pane.

(The next day)

_After coming out of isolation, I still have to clean. Sigh. I seem to be everyone's target nowadays._

"Emp., Mimi's really smart." I heard Sora's voice. "She's been looking for evidence to prove that I'm not your real granddaughter. If this goes on, Taichi will interfere."

I ran to hide, almost forgetting to bring the pail of soapy water with me.

"Relax. Mimi's my real granddaughter. I fully understand her personality. She won't go to Taichi and the others for help, she will secretly do it by herself. However, Sora, I'm really sorry to have to trouble you so much."

"Don't feel that way. It's quite fun playing the role of a bad girl anyway. Plus, I get to help to get Mimi and Taichi to admit that they're in love with each other and dating. I don't have the crest of Love for nothing, you know. However, if Mimi really finds evidence to prove that I'm not your real granddaughter, how are you going to explain it to her?"

"No matter what evidence she brings, I won't admit it. Now, we just have to announce that Taichi and you are getting engaged. This will make Mimi angry, as she won't let Taichi and you get engaged. And then, all she has left that she can do is for Taichi and her to come up to me and admit that they're in love with each other, and for me to help them. Then, my plan will be complete!" He laughed maniacally.

"Emp., isn't this a little too over the top?"

"Isn't this how the evil people on television act?"

"You aren't evil. You're a thoughtful grandfather."

"That's right… if only Mimi would understand that, then it would be great."

_So, it's all just grandpa's plan to get Taichi and I to admit that we're together. _I turned to head into the room, then stopped. _No. If I go in now and expose them, I'm letting them off too easily. I want them to taste the feeling of being tricked. Just like what grandpa said, I'm from the Takuya family. I won't lose to them. _I picked up the pail and walked away.

(Later)

I changed out of the maid uniform, packed my luggage, and started towards the main entrance. Miss Mizuno followed me, saying, "Mimi, you better wait for Emp. I have no say in this matter. Mimi… don't go!"

"Miss Mizuno, please don't hold on to my leg." She stood up. Then, I saw Emp., Sora and Head Manager Gennai in-front of me.

"Mimi, where are you going?" grandpa asked.

"Emp., thank you for taking care of me. I have decided to go to Brazil to look for my mom and dad. My servant duties end today. As for my salary, you can deposit it into my account."

"What are you talking about?"

I looked at Sora. She looked worried. I walked towards her, stopping in-front of her. "Miss Takuya, congratulations on your engagement with Master Yagami." _Not._

"Mimi, don't you love Taichi? Why…"

"My status now… it's not good enough for Master Yagami, so I'll back out." _Well, it is true, in a way. _"Emp., Miss Takuya and Head Manager Gennai, thank you for taking care of me. Well, I'm going now." I picked up my luggage, and walked towards the main doors.

"You really want to leave?" grandpa asked, walking to stand in-front of me. "I'm letting Taichi and Sora get engaged. You don't mind that?"

"Yes. Emp., you must have mistaken about Master Yagami and my relationship. Nothing happened between us. So…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_What did Mimi just say?_

"So… Miss Takuya, don't worry and go ahead and get engaged to Master Yagami." I was behind her. She turned around a saw me, her smile fading.

"I was wondering where you were going with the luggage. Turns out that you were planning to abandon everything in the Takuya family to go to Brazil."

"Taichi, I…"

"I'll ask you again. Will you really not care if I get married to Sora?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_How could I not care?_ _Taichi, I'm acting. Can't you tell? Or are you… too hurt to see it?_

Taichi walked towards grandpa, and stopped in-front of him. "Emp., didn't you want me to marry Sora? Okay, I accept it."

"Taichi, about the marriage, we have to discuss about it more, there's no need to rush it."

"I don't care anymore. I'll just leave everything up to you guys. I'm tired. I'm going back to my room." He walked past me without even looking at me. I ran after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

"Emp., how did it become like this?" I asked him, once Mimi had left.

"What should we do now?" Head Manager Gennai asked.

"It's okay. Mimi won't be in a hurry to leave now. We just have to wait and see."

"Just wait?" Head Manager Gennai asked.

"Then what else can we do?" Emp. replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I walked into my room. _I think Mimi's really angry with Emp. and Sora. Otherwise, she wouldn't say that she's okay with Sora and I getting married. I acted too rashly._

There was a knock on my door. "Taichi, don't be angry!" Mimi said. "Taichi!"

_I'm sorry Mimi. I can't talk to you now. If I'm not wrong, Sora's appearance is suspicious, so I have to get started on my plan now. Even though I don't know the reason yet, Sora's appearance isn't just a coincidence._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Sighing, I picked up my luggage. "Miss Tachikawa, no, Mimi, are you still going to leave?" Head Manager Gennai asked me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"Emp.," Head Manager Gennai said, "It looks like Miss Tachikawa has decided to stay."

"I knew that she would stay after watching her carrying her luggage and running after Taichi. She will stay behind to explain to Taichi."

"However, Master Yagami seems angry, and Miss Tachikawa seems sad."

"Angry? It just shows that they care about each other. I thought of it in my plan. Sora's just there to provoke them." I chuckled. "Now, we just have to wait for them to admit it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
To sort out the relationships in the story so far…

Mimi and Taichi are lovers. Mimi and Yamato treat each other like siblings, and Hikari and Takeru are lovers.


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 27  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I was back wearing the maid costume, watching Taichi, Emp. and Sora sip tea while sitting in the garden. _This is what I feared. Taichi was really hurt by me. He's really accepting Sora._

"I just want to confirm, you really promise to get engaged to Sora?"

"Yes. Emp., what is wrong with you? You keep asking me this every few minutes."

"I'm happy… I'm happy to hear it, so… you really promise to get engaged to Sora?"

"Yes."

He laughed. "That's just great! Then let's pick a good day for your engagement."

"Emp., before I get engaged to Sora, I think we should get to know each other more. So, during the weekend, I would like to bring Sora to our seaside holiday resort. Sora, what do you think?" He moved his face to about six inches away from hers.

"Just the both of you alone?"

Taichi put his arm around Sora's shoulders. "I think it's better for both of us to get to know each other better." He brushed Sora's fringe away from her face. "Also, I think the seaside resort is very romantic. Emp., you aren't that old-fashioned, right?"

"Isn't this progressing a little too fast?" Sora asked. Taichi moved her closer to him.

"I'm a very conservative man. Sora and you aren't familiar with each other, even though the two of you are going to get engaged, I forbid you two to be alone." Sora's expression was similar to mine. We both looked as if Emp. was Superman (A/N : Not owned by me).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_Emp., you have finally fallen into my trap. When Mimi was your granddaughter, you would jump around with joy if I suggested something like that. Why are you reacting like this now?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

_Is Taichi really interested in Sora? He even wants to bring her to our seaside resort. I'm starting to get worried. Poor Mimi…_

"If you really want to go to the seaside resort, Mimi has to go with you."

"Mimi?" Taichi asked.

"I think you two will need a maid to take care of your daily needs. The resort is so big, I don't want my darling granddaughter to have no one to wait on her." I said, as Sora nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_As I thought, this sly fox…_

"Okay. Since Mimi's coming, let's ask Yamato to come along." I said.

"Yamato?" Sora asked. ****

"Yes. I don't want Mimi to feel left out. Mimi gets along well with Yamato, maybe both of them will…" _Hopefully nothing will happen between them. _"Relationships are best strengthen during vacations."

"Mimi and Yamato get along well?" Sora asked.

"They have always gotten along well."

"Okay, okay. Since it's like this, Yamato will go too. You youngsters take this opportunity to have fun. Okay, it's decided." Emp. said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_Has Taichi really misunderstood what I said?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

_Things seem to be getting more complicated._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

_No matter what you're thinking about, Taichi, it's fine as long as Mimi follows._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_Emp., I believe that this weekend will be very interesting._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"I'm going crazy!" I said.

"Are you serious, Mimi? Sora's a fake?" Hikari asked.

"No wonder you've been acting so weird." Yamato commented.

"Well, I agree with Hikari." Takeru said.

I told them what had happened, and they tried to comfort me.

(The next morning)

I walked out of the mansion just in time to see the cars leaving. _This can't be! Taichi didn't wait for me? _I turned, and there was Head Manager Gennai, riding a motorcycle. "Miss Tachikawa, let me send you to school."

"Okay."

I saw Taichi in school, but he ignored me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"It's so late and you're inviting me to drink wine?"

"Yes." Yamato replied. "I'm getting information for Mimi."

I looked at him. "What happened to Mimi?"

"She feels really sad, since you've been ignoring her. Tai, did you guys really have a fight? You do know that Mimi doesn't really want you to marry Sora, right?"

I didn't reply. Yamato walked towards me, then sat down beside me. "Tai, my best friend, it's time you tell me. What are you secretly planning?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't act. Tomorrow we're going on a vacation, but I think you want more than a vacation."

"Why are you saying that?"

"I don't believe that you want to 'get to know Sora more'. You must be secretly planning something. If you don't want to tell Mimi, then tell me. Also, since you got me to go, I must be part of your plan."

I raised my wine bottle up to tap it with Yamato's. "A best friend, you're really a best friend. What I need you to help me with is to believe in me and not ask me so many questions. Help me take care of Mimi, I'll handle the rest. You'll see when the time comes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

We were waiting outside the car when Sora appeared, with Mimi behind her, laden with bags. Tai walked past Sora, towards Mimi, and took some of the bags she was carrying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Do you need any help?" I looked up. Taichi.

"No… I'll just do it by myself."

"Okay then." He passed me back the bags and walked back to the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was driving us there. I kept looking at the mirror, to sneak peeks at Mimi. Then, I realised that Sora kept glancing at Yamato, and smiling to herself. _Weird…_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"Wow, this house is so grand! It's a waste to use it as a vacation house, isn't it?" Mimi asked.

"Mimi, this is considered plain. There are more vacation houses belonging to the Takuya family. Each vacation house has been specially designed by famous architects. This vacation house, from the material and structure, is the style that I really like." I replied.

"Yamato, you know a lot about architecture?" Sora asked.

"No, I just know how to appreciate good architecture." I replied, flashing her a smile.

"Oh, me too!" Sora said.

"Really? It's really rare to find a girl who knows about architecture. Sora, who's your favourite architect?" Tai asked.

"Antoni Gaudi. He's a Spanish architect. When I went with my family to Barcelona, I was very impressed with his work."

"Going with your family on vacation? Sora, your relationship with your adopted parents is really good. They must be very depressed after you came to the Takuya family." Mimi said.

"Yes, but they're happy for me too. However, this really isn't your business, is it?" Sora replied.

"Yamato, Sora, the weather's nice today, let's go to the garden and relax." Taichi started saying. "Mimi, go and unpack our luggage. After you're done, go and make some tea for us."

"Oh, and Mimi, don't think that because you're no longer in the Takuya family, you can shirk your duties. Go and prepare some sandwiches for us too. Yamato, Taichi, you want some too, right? Her sandwiches are edible. Okay, let's go to the garden now."

"You guys go ahead. I'll help Mimi to make the sandwiches."

"Yamato, it's okay. Sandwiches are easy to make. I can manage by myself."

"No, really. It's your first time here, and you aren't familiar with the place. I'm just helping you a little. Let's go."

_I admit that I do feel an attraction towards Sora, whenever she isn't acting that way towards Mimi (probably Emp.'s orders), but when she's herself._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I looked at Sora she looked worried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

I kept looking around to see if they were coming, until I realised that Taichi was looking at me, looking puzzled.

"Sora, do you like it here?"

"Yes. Looking at the lake is relaxing."

"Then, why do I have the impression that you aren't looking at the lake?"

"No… the wind's just getting into my eye and it's uncomfortable."

"Really? You seem to be waiting for something though."

"Am I? No, it's not possible!"

"Are you waiting for the tea or the sandwiches?"

"Yes, I'm waiting for the sandwiches! Why is Mimi taking so long, and why does Yamato want to help her? I mean, I would help if I wasn't pre- I mean, if she wasn't a maid, but…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

We walked out of the house, Yamato holding the plate of sandwiches, while I held the teapot. Then I stopped. Taichi's face was inches from Sora's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

I sat down beside them, and Mimi stood at the side.

"Sora, how many sugar cubes do you want in your tea?" Tai asked.

"Just one. I don't want it to be too sweet." Sora said, looking at me. "Ouch!"

"What happened?"

"I think there's something in my eye."

"Come, I'll blow it out for you." Tai said.

However, before Tai could do it, Mimi ran towards him and covered his mouth using her hand, saying, "Leave such a trivial thing to me. I'm the maid here, not you."

Then, started the Sora tug-of-war, with Taichi and Mimi pulling her to help her blow out whatever was irritating her eye.

"Guys, haven't you heard of something called 'eye drops'?" I asked, holding the bottle up. They let go of Sora sheepishly as I handed her the bottle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

We were back in the house.

"Sora, are your eyes okay now?" Taichi asked.

"Yes, thanks to Yamato's eye drops."

_I still don't know if she was faking that._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

_I wonder if Mimi thought I was faking that._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Guys, since we're on vacation, Tai, think of something to do."

"Mimi did mention once that Sora likes to play tennis, so let's play tennis."

_He remembers?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

At first, Taichi was on Sora's team, while I was on Mimi's team. It was obvious that Sora was better at tennis, but eventually, it led to them resorting to petty fighting, throwing the tennis balls at each other, while Taichi and I watched, standing at the side.

"Those two are pretty competitive." Taichi commented, looking shocked.

"Yes. It's a really eye-opening experience."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

"I'm sorry, my serve was too hard just now." I told Mimi, wrestling her.

"It's okay, I'm alright." She replied, wrestling me.

"Oh, you're in trouble now!"

It was fun, in a way. I was being myself now, and it seemed as if we were best friends, fighting comically over something, and then it felt as if we were going to make up somehow, our friendship strengthening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I was heading to the kitchen to prepare some food, when I heard Taichi's voice. "Sora, is your forehead okay now?"

I looked back to see Taichi touching Sora's face. "Yes."

_I was hit by the ball too. Why aren't you caring about me? Forget it. I'm just a maid now. _I walked off, feeling hurt.

I was in the kitchen, chopping onions with a vengeance. _Ever since we got here, Taichi has been doing everything to please Sora. Didn't you ask me to trust you? I can't take it anymore! I'm going crazy! Taichi, if you've really fallen for Sora, I'm really leaving. Even if I'm Emp.'s real granddaughter, I'm still leaving. _I rubbed my eyes, tearing.

"Are you crying?" Sora asked, entering the kitchen.

"No. I'm cutting onions."

"Just say it if you're crying."

"Takenouchi Sora, don't think that just because you're Taichi's fiancée now, you can be so arrogant."

"Wasn't it you who didn't tell Taichi the truth, leading him to believe that you're really pushing him to me?"

_Takenouchi Sora, I will expose you!_

"Why aren't you talking? Are you plotting against me?"

"Let me tell you this, Sora. You don't really like Taichi. I overheard your conversation with Emp., so I know everything now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

_I need to calm down._

"Who said that I didn't like Taichi?"

"Me. And I heard your conversation with Emp., that you're conspiring together to force us to confess our love."

_I still have to go with the plan._

"Yes, I admit that I didn't like Taichi at first, but the closer I get to him, the more I fall for him. So, I have decided to get engaged to him."

"That's impossible. Emp. knows that you're a fake."

"Yes, but it doesn't really matter whether I'm a fake. Taichi has already fallen for me, didn't you notice?"

Then suddenly, Mimi was throwing sliced onions at me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Then, Taichi came down the stairs. "Why are you guys fighting?"

We didn't reply. "Mimi." Taichi said.

"No matter what I say, you won't listen to it. Maybe I should just shave off all that hair, and see what difference it makes!"

"Sora, go and take a bath. Mimi, before we eat, get this place cleaned up." They left, with Taichi running his hand through his hair.

(Later)

I changed out of the maid uniform, standing in my room at the vacation house. _How did it become like this? Will Taichi really marry Sora? How could Taichi have such a change of heart? Is it because I angered him? Or… is he really attracted to Sora? Could it be that he stopped liking me a long time ago, and used this as an excuse to leave me? I'm I thinking too much? If that's true, what should I do?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Hmmm. Out-of-character? Is it?


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 28  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

I walked onto the balcony. Yamato was sitting there. "Yamato, thank you."

"What for?"

"For the eye drops."

"It was nothing." He started to walk off.

"Yamato, do you have a girlfriend now?"

He stopped. "Why are you asking about that?"

"You're so kind, gentle, and sensitive, so you must be popular with females. I just wanted to ask what kind of girls guys like you would be attracted to."

"I don't have a girlfriend now, but a girl who's comfortable with herself would attract me. I was shocked by you two today though."

"Shocked?"

"You two look so gentle, but when it comes to tennis, you two are more serious than us. Taichi and I were shocked."

"Oh." I blushed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was watching and listening to what was happening on the balcony. Sora kept smiling. _What is Sora thinking about? Does she… _I looked at Yamato, grinning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was listening to Yamato and Sora talk about their interest in architecture and Yamato's plan of starting a band, when I saw Mimi enter the house.

"I'll go and get a bottle of red wine." I said, walking into the house.

I found Mimi in the kitchen, wiping the counter-top. I grabbed a bottle of red wine, and started to walk away, when I stopped.

"Taichi, have you really fallen for Sora?"

"Mimi… Mimi, are there anymore desserts?"

"Tai-"

"Bring them out then." I walked out of the house, then looked back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

We were all sitting down, except for Mimi, who was standing at the side, when Taichi announced that he had an announcement to make.

"Tonight, I'll be sharing the same room as Sora." He said, putting his arm around her.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Sora said.

"It's perfectly fine for a to-be husband and wife. And I wanted to treat this vacation as our pre-wedding honeymoon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_I think that even if I expose Emp. and Sora's plan now, it wouldn't help. Taichi's serious about this. He has really fallen for Sora._

"Yamato, I'll leave Mimi with you tonight. She'll sleep in the same room as you."

"Yagami Taichi, how could you do this without consulting anyone?" Yamato said.

"I thought you would be happy, without Emp.'s surveillance." He removed his arm from around Sora. "Didn't I tell you to cooperate with me?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

I leaned in towards Tai, whispering so no one else could hear me. "How am I supposed to cooperate with you? Tai, what are you doing?"

"Taichi, do you really want Yamato and I to share the same room?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Fine. Yamato, I'll sleep in the same room as you tonight. Since Taichi spent so much time organising this, we shouldn't waste his efforts. Yamato, I'll sleep with you tonight."

"Mimi, don't joke about thi-"

"Do you dislike me?"

"No, it's ju-"

"Then is it too hard for you to do this?"

I couldn't stand it anymore. "Everyone, what's going on?"

"Then it's decided." Mimi said.

"Alright, it's settled." Tai said.

Tai walked away, pulling Sora with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

_Is our relationship really over?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

I sat on a chair, while Mimi sat on the bed. "Mimi, don't be like this. I can sleep in another room."

"It's alright. It's already decided." She replied, sounding frustrated.

"Tai's angry because you said that you were okay with Sora and him getting married. How are we going to end this madness if both of you are angry?"

"I don't care if he's angry. He shouldn't be sleeping in the same room as Sora."

"Just because they're sleeping in the same room, it doesn't mean anything's going to happen."

"Do you trust him?"

"Tai might be acting weird lately, but I believe that he has his reasons."

"Maybe we're wrong. If Taichi's angry, I'll do anything to get him to forgive me. However, he can't possibly be angry enough to sleep in the same room as Sora, or for us to stay in the same room. So, I believe that Taichi has no place in his heart for me anymore."

"Mimi…"

"Don't try to defend him. Fine. If it's like this, I won't bother about you guys anymore. The two of you, go ahead and fight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

I sat in the toilet, afraid to come out. There was a knock on the door. "Sora, are you okay? You've been in there for over two hours."

"I… I'm fine. Don't you know that women usually take a longer time to bath?"

Then it seemed as if he was out of earshot. Suddenly, I imagined him taking off his bathrobe, wearing nothing but a pants. _No! I have to call Emp., now! Taichi really seems as if he wants to spend the night with me. _I flipped my phone open. _No battery! What should I do now? How am I supposed to get out of this?_ Then, the phone fixed on the toilet wall rang. I picked it up.

"Sora, are you okay? You can't stay in the bathtub for so long, you'll faint. Do you need me to help you?"

"I'm fine! I'll be finished soon!" I hung up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_I think you won't be able to hold out for much longer. You're going to spill the beans soon._

Finally, Sora came out. "Sora, you don't look well. Maybe we should go to our bedroom to sleep."

"Sleep? I'm okay, I'm feeling well! Taichi, even though we're going to get engaged, there are some things that I feel we should only do after marriage."

I put my arm around her. "Sora, you really like me, don't you?"

"Of course I do! Why would I agree to get engaged with you then?"

_Alright, just keep pretending. _"That's good. Maybe I've been thinking too much. Alright, I'm going to take a bath. If you're ready, go to bed and sleep."

"I'm not tired! I'll just read some magazines on the couch. Go ahead and bath. Take as long as you would like."

"Okay." I headed towards the bathroom, then stopped and look back. "I wonder how Yamato is doing. Yamato really has a way with women. I think there will be progress between them tonight." I walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Yamato was lying on the bed, while I was sitting at the end of the bed. _I wonder what Taichi and Sora are doing. _Then, I imagined Sora touching Taichi's muscles, and Taichi showing them off for her. "No!" I stood up. "I can't let something like that happen!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

_I really don't understand why the both of you won't be frank with each other. You guys have to keep dragging me along every time._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

I thought about Yamato and Mimi's relationship. Then, I decided. I snuck into the bedroom (thankfully, there were two separate beds), and saw Taichi asleep. I crept out, quietly closing the door behind me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_I knew it. You couldn't take it anymore._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I snuck out of the room, and headed towards Taichi's room. Suddenly, I heard a sound. _Who's that? A thief? There aren't any weapons here that I can protect myself with._

The, I spotted a feather duster. There was someone beside me. _It's too late!_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

_Offense is the best option! _I started to wrestle the person beside me. So did the person. Until I realised that it was Mimi, and Mimi realised that it was me.

"Sora, what are you doing there at midnight?" Taichi asked. He was standing outside the door to his room.

"I was just hungry, so I went to search the fridge for food."

"Mimi, then what about you? What are you doing there?" Yamato asked, standing outside the door to his room.

"I…"

"Were you trying to sneak into Taichi's room when everyone's asleep?" I asked.

"You… fine. I wanted to find Taichi. What about it? However, I dare to tell the truth. Do you dare to tell the truth? You're obviously not Emp.'s granddaughter. If you really like Taichi, then you shouldn't deceive him."

"I…" The two guys came nearer. "I never deceiving anyone."

Mimi walked, stopping in-front of Taichi. "Taichi, I know that you don't want to listen to my explanations, and you even suspect my motives, but I have to tell you that Takenouchi Sora is a pawn that Emp.'s using to agitate me so that I'll admit that we have a relationship. She entered the Takuya family because-" Taichi yawned.

"I'm very tired. I don't know what happened between the both of you, but such a complex matter can be discussed tomorrow. Yamato, bring her back. Sora, let's go." Taichi started to walk away. Mimi held him back.

"Taichi, do you really not care about me?" He didn't reply. "Even if Yamato and I do anything, you'll be okay with it? Tell me!" Taichi shook her off.

"Mimi, don't worry. I won't do anything to you." Yamato said.

Taichi looked at Yamato. "Yamato, take her away."

"Tai, I don't know what you're trying to do, but you shouldn't hurt Mimi like this. If you're determined to do this, then I'll take care of Mimi from now on. You don't have to interfere anymore. Mimi, let's go back to the room." Yamato guided Mimi back.

_What's this feeling?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_Mimi, I'm sorry. Give me a little more time. The truth will be revealed soon._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

My eyes were wet. I clenched my fist, and turned around. "Wait! I told you to wait!" Yamato and Mimi stopped. "Mimi, I won't allow you and Yamato to sleep in the same room. I won't allow you two to be together, do you hear me?"

"I'm free to be with whoever I choose! You don't have the right to control me! I dislike you, Takenouchi Sora!"

"There's no use even if you dislike me! I told you that I don't allow it, and so you can't!"

"You have no right to control me, Miss Takuya! You liar!"

"The person I like is Ishida Yamato!" Yamato looked shocked. "The person I like is Ishida Yamato. Is that alright with you?" Mimi looked at Yamato, then at me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I looked down at the photograph of a little girl with cropped, red hair, who was wearing a blue hat, with a layered white and yellow tank top, jeans, and red sport shoes. "Sora, is this really you?"

She nodded. "That photograph was taken in the Takuya family courtyard eight years ago."

"So you've been secretly in love with Yamato since eight years ago?"

She nodded. "I've kept this photograph for a very long time."

"I'm very surprised that you've been in love with me since eight years ago." Yamato said.

"So, the truth is out now." Taichi said, grinning, his smile cocky.

"I remember that it was Yamato's eleventh birthday then. I was invited. Yamato was very popular, but also very quiet. However, a lot of rich kids came, and I knew that I was no match for them. So, I planned an eight-year plan to improve myself. I went to many different posture, beauty, and elegance classes. And that was also how I discovered my love for designing clothes. I'm still myself though, and I still love sports. So, I decided when I became more beautiful, to appear in-front of Yamato."

"Sora, I really admire your willpower, but if your target was Yamato, why did you agree to work with Emp.?" Taichi asked.

"That's right. Sora, Emp. shouldn't have the power to force you to agree."

"No. When I heard about you guys, I suggested it to Emp., and he agreed. It looks like I'm doing a favour for Emp., but I'm really using this chance to get closer to Yamato and to help both of you to confess your love. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Do you want to start over again? To try and become friends again?"

"Yes, Meems." Sora smiled.

Taichi walked towards Yamato, patting him on the back. "Are you afraid, Yamato. An eight-year plan! I bet you haven't come across that!" Taichi said, teasing him.

"Yes. Now I know why you were acting so weird." Yamato left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was hugging Mimi, while we looked at the stars.

"Taichi, so you found out a long time ago? That's why you were acting."

"I didn't find out a long time ago. I just felt that Sora's appearance was strange. So I went to investigate it. And yes, I was acting."

"So, under all that hair there's really…"

"Hey!"

We spent the rest of the night talking and discussing. We agreed to not hide anything from each other anymore. And then we kissed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
:D


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 29  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I saw Sora sitting on her bed, looking depressed. I sat beside her.

"Sor."

"Meems, I'm sorry. I was just pretending to bully you."

"Why are you apologising again? It's okay, since we've made up again."

"However, it's all thanks to you and Taichi that I had the courage to confess to Yamato. My heart's beating very quickly now. After so many years, I finally told Yamato how I feel. It feels wonderful."

I took her hand. "Sora, you're a very strong and brave woman. I believe that Yamato will be moved."

"I hope so."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

"What? Yamato left?" Mimi asked.

"Did he say anything?" I asked.

"When I woke up today, his luggage wasn't there. He must have called someone to pick him up in the morning." Taichi replied.

"Was Yamato scared by my confession, or is this his way of rejecting me?"

"Sor, Yamato isn't that easily frightened. He must have had something to do, so he went back. When we return, he'll be at home." Mimi said.

"Or Yamato might be wondering how to answer you. Sora, just give him more time." Taichi added.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

_Sora doesn't seem like the women before who came and went. Sigh. Maybe I shouldn't have paid her any attention from the start, so I wouldn't have given her false hope. However, to be seriously loved by a woman for eight years, it's a wonderful feeling._

"Yamato, what's wrong? You told me to fetch you from the vacation house early this morning, then you spend the time deep in thought. Is it because of a woman? You know, it's better to cut them off early, it's better to suffer for a short time than a long time."

"Wasn't I the one who taught that to you?"

"Oh yeah. I might not know what the problem is, but Yamato, do you want to stay at my house and lie low for a few days, or head back to the Takuya family mansion?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

We were in the car. Taichi was driving us back. I looked at Sora, who was sitting at the back. "Taichi, what will happen to Sora when we get back?"

"I'm also worried about how to explain this to Emp., Meems."

"Sora should be alright, she's from a close family of the Takuya family. Emp. wouldn't punish her for not being able to help." Taichi replied.

"Even if I get punished, I'll still stand on you guys' side."

We reached the mansion, and got out of the car. Emp. still pretended that Sora was his granddaughter, and asked her questions, until he asked, "Did you have fun?"

"Yes, grandpa." I replied.

Head Manager Gennai came over. "Err, Emp., it's good as long as the young people had fun."

"Y…Yes!" Emp. said.

"Everything there was nice. Actually, you old people should follow us more, and have fun too. It's good for your body, and if it's good for your body, it's good for your brain, and then maybe you guys wouldn't come up with stupid ideas." Mimi said.

"Emp., Emp., I think… I think there's an important phone call for you to answer." Head Manager Gennai said.

"I'll go answer my phone then." Grandpa walked away.

"Emp., the phone's that way." Head Manager Gennai said.

"Yes, of course I know where the phone is."

Taichi, Sora and I were trying not to laugh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

I sat down on the chair in my room. "I think now even Sora is on their side."

"I think Miss Takenouchi did very well, just that they were on vacation, so they may have got carried away…"

"I've made so many business deals before. What battles have I not won? I can't believe I lost to a few young people."

"We got so close, but yet we failed."

"However, Mimi is my granddaughter, and Taichi's my successor. From now on, back to the starting point! Simply put, I won't admit or deny anything. We'll just return to the fact that Mimi's my granddaughter. I'll just watch what happens next."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"I can't believe grandpa would hide and not explain anything."

"I think this is Emp.'s temporary way of handling things." Taichi replied.

I sat down beside Taichi on the sofa. And then I saw Yamato. "Yamato."

"Have you guys talked to Emp.?"

"Yes, but he seems to be pretending that nothing has happened." I replied.

"Mimi, I think we should tell Emp. everything. Explain to him everything." Taichi said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes. Tell him that we're together, but I don't want to be his successor."

"I agree." I said.

"However, aren't you guys afraid of the consequences?" Yamato asked.

"Based on Emp.'s personality, he will retaliate, but we have to tell him." Taichi replied.

"Taichi, I'll follow and support you no matter what." I stood up, saying.

"I'll follow you." Sora said.

"Sor?"

"I'm involved too, and I want to help you to explain it. Besides, Emp. loves Mimi, so I think he'll understand."

"Since it's like this, I'll join in too." Yamato said. "Since Tai's going to say that he doesn't want to be the successor, I'll follow and say that I don't want to be the successor too."

"We're all thinking along the same lines." Taichi said, smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

I walked towards where Yamato was standing. He was standing by the fountain.

"Yamato, you were looking for me?"

"Sora. I'm sorry about this morning. I didn't know how to react to your feelings, so…"

"Yamato, it's alright. It's just my one-sided feelings. You don't have to accept it so quickly. Just like what Meems said, we have a lot of time to be together, so…"

"You're a really special girl."

"Of course. I'm Takenouchi Sora, the girl who had an eight-year plan to accomplish her dream of love."

"So, Sora, I called you here to tell you that I feel that the two of us… I'm willing to see how it goes with you."

"With me? Really?" I smiled.

"I can't guarantee that it will turn out good though. You know that I used to be a playboy, so… I'm not sure if my habits from those years have gone."

"However, my trust in you will not be gone. Plus, you seem so sincere now, right?"

He smiled.

We walked back to the mansion, hand in hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Taichi, Yamato, Sora and I were standing in grandpa's room.

"Grandpa, Taichi and I are truly in love. You don't have to use any methods to test us. We can't stand it. I have decided to give up the right of succeeding the Takuya family."

"Emp., I'm really grateful to you for bringing me up, but my dream isn't to be here. I have decided to give up the right of being the Takuya family successor, and building my own family with my own hands."

"Even though I didn't make my stance before, but Emp., I want to use this opportunity to say that I don't want to be the Takuya family successor."

"Emp., please let them do as they wish."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

"I have never seen Emp. like this. Is it too shocking for him?" I whispered to Yamato.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Were the words I said just now too harsh?" I whispered to Taichi.

"We're just saying what we buried in our hearts for so long. Whatever happens next is out of our control, so don't worry too much about it."

Grandpa stood up. "Okay. I've decided. From today onwards, all of you will move out of the Takuya family mansion. I've decided to train Hikari and Takeru to be my successors. If you want to live your own lives, you can. You don't have to go to school anymore, you can depend on yourselves. You want to start your own family? I'll let you start with nothing!" We looked at each other. "Get out! GET OUT!"

We left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

Emp. sat back down on the chair, his face red. I massaged his shoulders, saying, "Okay, don't be angry… don't be angry…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Taichi, Yamato and I walked towards the gates with our luggages, Taichi helping to carry mine. I smiled at Taichi. He smiled back.

"Yamato!" We looked behind. Sora was running towards us with her luggage in hand. "Wait for me!"

Yamato ran towards her. She stopped, saying, "Wait for me, okay?"

"Why are you following me? You don't have to leave."

"I'm not part of the Takuya family, so why should I stay? Besides, all of you are leaving."

"Then go home."

"I don't want to. I want to get kicked out of the Takuya family with you guys, and face problems together."

"This isn't a vacation. We don't even know where we're going. You have a home, go home, then we'll call you, okay?"

"No way. I waited for eight years before finally being with you. I want to follow you no matter where you go."

"Don't be like that."

"Yamato, let her come with us." I said.

"It's better to have two girls anyway. They can take care of each other." Taichi added.

Yamato looked at Sora, nodding.

"Taichi, Mimi, Yamato, Sora!" Hikari called, running with Takeru towards us.

"You haven't been kicked out, have you?" Taichi asked, looking worried.

"How could you guys leave without telling us?" Takeru asked.

"Please, it wasn't our choice. We have been chased out and now we have to build up a family from scratch. Do we have to announce it?" Yamato said.

"Emp. must have only said that out of anger. You guys can probably return after a few days." Hikari said.

Taichi walked towards her, saying, "No matter when we're coming back, you guys will have the pressure of being the successors. Don't make Emp. angrier."

"Don't be sad." Yamato said.

"Work hard, good luck." Taichi said.

Takeru nodded, while Hikari looked as if she was about to cry.

We hired a taxi, and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"Master Yagami, Master Ishida, may I confirm that you're booking two luxury suites, both on a non-smoking floor, for seven days?"

"Yes." I stood up, and passed him my credit card.

"Do we really have to stay here? It's expensive." Sora asked.

"Don't worry. Leave the money matters to me." I replied.

"Master Ishida, I'm sorry, but your credit card doesn't work."

"That's impossible. Try again."

"We've already tried thrice."

"This isn't good. I think Emp. has frozen all our accounts." Tai said.

"Use mine. There is only 100 of these black cards in the world." Sora said.

"Nice." I said.

"Of course. We're facing problems together."

"I'm sorry, Miss Takenouchi. The bank that issued your card is probably one of the Takuya family's company's branches."

I took her card, and looked at it. "We're doomed. Emp. has influence in all the banks."

"Isn't Emp. going overboard? He chased you guys out, not me. Why does he have to freeze my account too?"

"If it's not possible for you guys to use credit cards, cash is accepted too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"I can't believe I, Ishida Yamato, am reduced to sharing a room with three other people."

"We should have prepared for this! Emp. is not a person who makes empty threats." Taichi said.

"Yes. We have to pay for transport, food, housing…" I said.

"Meems, don't worry. You're Emp.'s granddaughter. He won't be so cruel to you." Sora said.

"Yes. Do you guys want to split up and look for a house?" Taichi asked.

"Yes. Taichi, you and Mimi go and find a house. I'll go with Sora to look for my friends to borrow some cash from them."

"Since we're out of the Takuya family, let's show them that poor people never give up!" I said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"All the businesses of the Takuya family, including those with ties to the Takuya family, and even all the branches in Odaiba, whether big or small, to not give Master Yagami or Master Ishida any work opportunities. Also, all of the education organizations in the country, including tuition classes, have been alerted." Gennai said.

"We'll see how long they can last. Starting from scratch? We'll see how much ability they have! What did the Takenouchi family say?"

"They said that they would back us up. They're very supportive of you, and said that it's good to teach those naïve and ungrateful children a lesson. Also…"

"Say it."

"Emp., cutting off their opportunities this way, isn't it a bit too…"

"I want to let them know that starting from scratch is not as simple as they imagine it to be. It's not as easy as asking someone, and flashing the Takuya family name to get a job. What's so hard about that? Which business does not want to get closer to the Takuya family? How is that 'starting from scratch'? I don't want to force them till death, of course I want them to return as soon as possible, especially Mimi, my granddaughter. Her having to suffer outside… makes me feel worse than anyone else. Send someone to watch them 24/7 for me!"

Then, I felt dizzy. "Emp., are you alright?" Gennai asked, supporting me.

"I'm so angry at those brats that my blood pressure is rising."

"You should find some time to get a full check-up done soon."

"We'll see after this mess is sorted out. I'm not in the mood now."

"Okay. Emp., you should get some rest, you're tired after all that work."

"How can I sleep? Go and do your work." Gennai left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Do you feel like the story's moving too fast?


	30. Chapter Thirty

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 30  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Taichi and I spent the day calling the numbers stated under the housing section of the newspaper. Then, we went to look at houses.

"How much is the deposit for this house?" I asked.

"165,000 yen for two months."

(Next house)

"The rent is about 55,000 yen, but 52,000 yen should be alright. The deposit is for two months."

"Thank you. We'll look around first though."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"Joseph, where are you? I want to borrow a little money. You can't hear clearly? How could you not hear clearly?"I looked at my phone. "My phone reception is good here. Hey, hello?"

He had hung up.

"What a coincidence. All three phones had bad receptions. Four are overseas, and two didn't even pick up. Pretending to be busy. There's usually no problem when I ask them for something else!" I muttered.

"Could it be, like what Emp. said, to start from scratch? He could have ordered all your friends to not pick up your phone calls?" Sora asked.

"Even my parents, and your parents have been ordered not to, so it's a possibility. However, after so many years of friendship, they've still abandoned me. Friends are fake! Does one word from Emp. override so many years of friendship? Are they going to die from just saying a word to me, or will they be poisoned?"

"Don't be like that. Maybe you're just unlucky today. We'll try again tomorrow."

"No. I have to get some answers from someone today. I can't believe that Emp.'s really that powerful. Let's go, Joseph's house is nearby."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I sat down on the park bench, saying, "How can finding a house be so difficult? We can't even afford the deposit, and four of us can't share one room."

"Should we go and look at the suburbs? The houses there should be cheaper, even if they're further away." Taichi asked.

My phone rang. I answered. "Hello, Yolei?"

"Hey Mimi, are you on a holiday or eating in a fancy restaurant with a handsome guy now?"

I looked at Taichi. "Neither. I'm looking for a house."

"Looking for a house? Why? Your house is so big. If you don't want to live in one room, just move to another room. Why do you want to live in a different house?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you when I have the time. We have to find a cheap house to live in now, otherwise, we might not even have a place to sleep in together."

"What? A cheap house, wait, let me think… what game are you playing?"

"Right. I'm playing a game. Yolei, have you seen any houses near yours up for rent?"

"Bingo! Your old house! Since you moved out, no one has rented it. The landlady still lives next door to it. I think the rent is still the same."

"Really? That's great!"

"However, Mimi, will you still be used to living in a place like that? Will you be staying alone there?"

"Erm…" I looked at Taichi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

I knocked on Joseph's car window before he could drive away. He winded his window down. "Master Ishida, how come you're free today?"

I opened the car door and pulled him out. "Didn't you say that you were changing planes in Hong Kong?"

"I did? How could I have? Did I say I was in Hong Kong?" He ran away. I chased after him, Sora behind me.

Finally, I managed to catch him. "Continue running if you dare."

"Why are you so fit? I mean, you're a pretty boy and all…"

I touched my hair. "What has Emp. said to you?"

"Emp. said that no one is allowed to lend you any money. If we did, it would mean that we're opposing him."

"What was the ten years of friendship to you? You won't pick up my calls, and you run away from me."

"What do you expect me to say? It's because we're friends, that it's hard to tell you face-to-face. You know that people like us get our money from home. If I take anymore from home, my parents will be aware of it. If my dad finds out that I dare to oppose Emp., and oppose the Takuya family… I don't even want to imagine it!"

"Okay. All I wanted to do was find you and get an explanation for what's going on. I, Ishida Yamato, no matter what happens, will not come and find you again."

I held Sora's hand, and left.

_How could I, Ishida Yamato have come to this? How could none of my friends be willing to help?_

I looked at Sora. Even someone as strong as her had started crying. "I'm sorry, Sora."

She hugged me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Taichi and I were cleaning up my old house. We had rented it.

"I'm going to get you, Big Hair!" I said, splashing water on Taichi as we cleaned the kitchen.

"Wow, princess Mimi is getting her hands wet! What's happening in the world?" He said, splashing me.

(Later)

"I wonder if Sora and Yamato will be okay with living in such a small house." I said.

"Even if they aren't, they don't have anywhere else to go. Also, since we cleaned up the place and decorated it a little, it feels cosy. Furthermore, you have already stayed here for about 18 years, so it isn't that bad." Taichi replied.

"Thank goodness the landlady was willing to accept a smaller deposit from me."

There was a knock on the door. I opened the door, and Yolei entered. "Mimi, I brought quilts, pans, bowls and chopsticks for you. I already hung the quilts outside for awhile just now, but when the sun comes out, hang them outside again, because that would make them nicer to sleep in."

"Thank you so much, Yolei!"

"No problem. I can only help you guys with small things like this. I hope that you'll be able to end this 'game' soon. Mimi, I really can't imagine you living here again, and you even brought Master Yagami!"

"Thank you." Taichi said.

"Stop that, both of you! Don't be so polite to me, it makes me feel embarrassed. Anyway, that's what friends are for."

I hugged her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I called Yamato. "Hello, Yamato? We've found a house."

I entered the house. Mimi had cooked.

"I can't believe that you can actually cook something that smells so nice." 

"Yagami Taichi, what do you mean by that? Of course I can cook food that smells so nice, and tastes delicious!"

I picked up my chopsticks, ready to take some of the meat that smelt so delicious.

"Yagami Taichi, I know my cooking is wonderful, but please wait for Sora and Yamato to arrive."

I still took the meat anyway, then flashed her a cocky smile. She looked at me expectantly.

"There's still… room for improvement."

"Really?"

"Just kidding. I'll eat whatever you cook."

"Really? Pinky promise."

I linked my pinky with hers. Then, as I was about to kiss her, my phone rang.

"Hello, Yamato?"

"Hey, Tai, where are you guys? Does anyone really live here? It looks deserted."

I looked out of the window, saw Yamato and Sora standing there, and shouted, "Yamato!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

We were all sitting on the sofa.

"This-" Yamato said.

"This is Mimi's old house. Luckily, it wasn't rented out. We only have enough cash to pay for the rent." Taichi said, cutting Yamato off.

"You two look miserable today. What happened?" I asked.

"All of Yamato's friends were warned by Emp. not to lend us any money." Sora said.

"No one wanted to help us." Yamato added.

"That isn't surprising. Emp.'s definition of starting from scratch possibly doesn't just include that though. I don't think finding work will be that easy either." Taichi said. I put my hand on his shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"Emp., Master Yagami and the rest have already moved into Miss Takuya's old house."

"Looks like they still have the will to fight. If they gave up immediately and surrendered, they wouldn't be my successor candidates. Among the four of them, there should be one who's weak and will quit first."

"I think the first people who will quit will be Master Takaishi and Miss Yagami. They already entered the successor training program, but it already looks like they can't take it."

"Without fighting spirit and a strong willpower, how could they be my successors?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Hikari's POV**

We went through physical training exercises, doing frog jumps for me, push-ups for Takeru, running up and down stairs, and boring lectures.

_How did big brother and Yamato get through all this?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I placed dishes on the table for breakfast.

"Morning." Taichi said, sitting down.

"Morning. Is Yamato still asleep?"

"Yep. Those two were extremely tired from yesterday. Yamato's sleeping like a log."

"Same thing for Sora. Well, let's eat!"

"It must be tiring for you, to have to wake up early to prepare breakfast."

"It's fine. It's harder for you, having to wake up early to go and look for a job. There's so little hope though. I really don't know what grandpa is thinking, we are already living by ourselves, but he still leaves us with no hope."

"We were the ones who wanted live independently, so with have to deal with the pressure. Anyway, just relax and stay at home while I find a job. Don't worry."

I nodded. "Eat!" I shoved some bread into his mouth. That sparked off a fight between us, trying to shove food into each other's mouths. I won.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"I'm going then."

"Okay. Good luck." I looked at her, turned my cheek towards her, and pouted. "What are you doing?"

She giggled.

I pouted further. "Lucky kiss!"

She kissed my cheek. I kissed her on the lips. "Victory! I'm going, bye."

"Bye."

As I headed towards the interview room, people kept staring at me weirdly. I greeted the interviewer, then handed him my portfolio. He looked at it, scanning through it.

"Master Yagami, with your education and experience, working for us would be a waste."

"You don't have to be so polite, sir. Actually, I don't have much work experience. I just hope to join the company and learn as much as I can."

"No, don't say that. If you join our company, how could I let you enter our company as a small lawyer? Furthermore, even if you join our company and take my job as the General Manager, it'll still be a waste of your talent. Don't you think so too?"

I didn't know what to say. I thanked him, then left, ignoring the comments made by the people working there.

"When I saw you here, I was really surprised. Master Yagami, the most respected by Emp. among the Takuya Family's Four Gems, came here of all places. I apologise for us not being able to give you a warmer reception."

"You're too kind, sir. The truth is, I came here to join your company as a lawyer."

"Stop joking, our company isn't big enough to house someone as important as you. Let me take you out for lunch. Eating lunch with you would be my honour. Don't make this hard for me. How could I dare to employ you, Master Yagami?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

I was looking out of the window when Mimi entered the house.

"Morning, you're finally up. Have you eaten yet?" I nodded.

We smiled at each other. _It feels like she's really my little sister._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

I walked into the kitchen. Mimi was there.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Not really. I'm just not used to the bed, so don't worry about it." I walked out of the kitchen and went to sit on the sofa. I looked at Yamato. He kept looking at his watch. "Yamato, what's wrong? What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing. I'm just wondering if I should go and look for a friend soon."

"Really? It seems as if that's not everyth-"

"Come on, let's go." I got pulled out of the house by Yamato.

"Wait! You're not going to look for a friend, are you? Are you going to tell me?"

"Yes, we're not going to look for a friend. We're going to a pawn shop."

"Your watch?"

"Yes. I'll pawn my watch for some money, then went we have the money, buy it back."

I grabbed his wrist to look at his watch. "This watch must be worth at least 2,750,000 yen! However, can you actually pawn it for that much?"

"I don't know. At least having some money would be better than being constricted like this. Going to a pawn shop will be a secret between us, okay?" I nodded. "If word were to get out that I, Ishida Yamato went to pawn shop, it would damage my reputation."

"How about Mimi and Taichi then?"

"They are already working so hard towards their independence. They have enough problems already, so we shouldn't make them worry about us. If we can help them worry less, we should."

"We should work hard, not only them."

"Everyone's way of working hard is different. This watch was a coming-of-age gift from my dad."

I showed him my tennis bracelet. "This bracelet was a present from my mom. He told me that it was worth about 55,000 yen. And since we're going to a pawn shop…"

"No. It's a gift from your mom. You shouldn't pawn it off."

"Then, my necklace…"

"Sora, leave it to me, okay?" He walked off, grabbing my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine.

I waited outside the pawn shop for Yamato to come out.

"It feels good to have at least some money in your pocket."

"Yes, but we have to be more frugal than before."

"Okay, let's go." He offered me his arm. I linked my arm with his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
:D

To **inori** : I'm glad you like the story so far! I don't think what happened in the previous chapters are counted as a love triangle, so no. The story's going to end in 5 chapters though (last chapter is chapter 35), but keep reading! Thank you for reviewing! It means a lot. (:


	31. Chapter Thirty One

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 31  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I looked out of the window, waiting for Taichi to come home. I spotted him, then ran outside. I hugged him.

"You're back! How did it go?"

"It was okay."

"Did you have trouble finding a job?" He didn't reply. "It's alright. We were mentally prepared for this, and we can just slowly look for a job. We'll definitely find a job. However, you have to promise me that you'll tell me if there's anything bothering you. We'll solve the problem together."

"It's alright. It's just that looking for a job is a little tiring. However, there's another job opportunity I can try tomorrow, however there's a one month trial period."

"Really? That's great! Which company was so clever in hiring you? Where is it?"

"You wouldn't know the company. The salary's not very high though."

"It's alright. I'm a frugal princess. Even if the salary isn't high, I believe we'll be able to save some money from it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

Yamato and Sora came back, Yamato carrying bags filled with music CDs, sport equipments, clothes for Mimi, and food. Yamato explained that his friend had borrowed money from him in the past, and he had just paid it back. I didn't believe him though. Then, I realised something.

"Where's your favourite watch?"

"Oh. We left the Takuya family mansion in such a rush then, so I probably left it there." _It was still on his wrist when he was sleeping like a log. _"These expensive things aren't that important, they won't stay forever. What matters is that we live each day happily."

I punched him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

The days passed with Taichi still looking for a job, Yamato taking this chance to try and set up a band, Sora practicing tennis everyday at the local tennis court, and I staying at home to take care of the house or looking at shop displays.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Master Yagami, I admire your work ethics, and I admire your courage in leaving the Takuya family, but I'll be frank with you. Don't waste your time and energy. When our company received the note from the Takuya family Company, we found it ridiculous, but no one dares to go against Emp.'s word. So, in short, no one who owns a company will dare to hire you as it will risk becoming the Takuya family's enemy. Do you understand?"

"Thank you for being so frank. I thought that that might be happening, but for someone to tell me that frankly… I'm thankful. I'm sorry for taking up your time."

I left. It was raining. I dropped the jobs section of the newspaper, on the ground. It fell on a puddle of water.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I was placing the plates of food for dinner on the dining table when Taichi got home.

"Why are you smiling so mysteriously?"

He held up a brown envelope. "This is my first paycheck! I used my own abilities to earn this. Now, I'm going to hand it to Mrs. Yagami."

"I'm not your mom." I giggled. "Fine, just kidding. I get it, Mr. Yagami." I took the envelope and hugged him. "Congratulations." I whispered.

"Congratulations to the both of us." Taichi whispered back. "We can finally leave the Takuya family and live independently. This small paycheck… I'll leave it to you,' frugal princess' so that you can prove to me that you really are a 'frugal princess'. Use it to pay rent, buy groceries, pay for electricity, gas, and save some up."

"Okay! And now the 'frugal princess' will wow you with her cooking skills!"

"I'm starving." Taichi pouted, rubbing his belly.

I went to get the last dish out. When I came out, I saw Taichi sleeping on the sofa, his arms and legs splayed out. Then, I realised that there were cuts on his hands, only about a few hours old.

_Why did you refuse to tell me which company you work for, or where you work at? What type of work are you doing? Why do you come back with injuries?_

(The next day)

I followed Taichi. He reached a construction site. He tucked his shirt out, then loosen his tie. Then, he signaled to a construction worker. The construction worker tossed safety helmet to him. Later, he came out of the construction site, pushing a wheelbarrow filled with building materials, and wearing a simple t-shirt, long black pants, a towel around his neck, and a safety helmet on his head. I watched as he moved and lifted heavy building materials around.

_Yagami Taichi, you grew up in the Takuya family, pampered from young. You're self-respecting and proud. Why are you doing this kind of work, and why are you hiding it from me?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was heading back to work after my break when I saw Mimi. She was sobbing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Why are you doing such arduous work?" He didn't reply. "If you can't find work in a big company, you could always tutor or teach. There's still a lot of different kinds of jobs that you can find. You have a lot of options."

"I had interviews with a lot of people from different companies. Even if they hired me, they would suddenly change their minds the next day. Emp. is serious. He wants to force us into submission."

"How could he do this? He's too much. I'm going to talk to him." I walked off, but Taichi stopped me.

"Mimi, what Emp. did is actually good, in a way. This way, we can really escape the Takuya family's influence and depend on ourselves. This is a battle of our resolves. Whoever lasts the longest will be the winner of this competition." I hugged him, sobbing.

"I can't stand this! I can't stand it that you have to go through such arduous work, while I stay at home or look at shop displays, doing nothing, just depending on the money from your hard work! Grandpa thinks that you're the best choice to be his successor, you have so much talent and so much dreams, even if you want to stay here, I don't want you to suffer like this."

"Mimi, knowing that you're waiting for me at home is my biggest motivation. Even if I'm tired, just thinking of you waiting for me at home is worth it. Trust in my abilities, okay? This is only a transition phase, right?"

I looked into his eyes. "However, every time you come home, you don't even have the energy to eat, you just fall asleep."

He hugged me, and then he whispered, "Then, maybe you should think about whether your cooking skills are good or not."

I smiled. "My cooking skills are great, so don't blame them!"

"Okay, so from now on, I'll eat everything you cook. However, don't let Yamato and Sora know about this job for now. I don't want them to worry." I nodded. "Don't worry. I'll keep looking for a job. Actually, this job isn't that bad. I've learnt a lot. I won't give up. Frugal princess, you should cheer your handsome worker on! Got it?"

"Handsome worker?"

(Later)

I looked out of the window to see Sora and Yamato walking together hand in hand._ They went shopping again? After Taichi punched Yamato?_

We sat on the sofa.

"Yamato and I went to buy bug repellent, since it seems as if Meems forgot about it."

"Oh, I was busy following Taichi, sorry, Sor."

"Oh, I thought that you guys couldn't afford it. If you don't have enough, ask us." Yamato said.

"We can afford it. Taichi just got his pay check yesterday. He has a job."

"Oh, and we bought a lot of ingredients, so Meems can use those in her cooking."

"Your money will run out one day." Taichi said, sounding calm. _He must be seething inside._

"Of course not. I have so many friends."

"The money from your watch must have been used up by now. What did you pawn this time?"

"Don't care about us. Concentrate on taking care of Mimi. We'll take care of ourselves."

"What? By pawning items and then shopping? You're living the same life as before. Is that your way of taking care of yourselves?"

"How about you? Yours is to make your girlfriend worry everyday about how to support us, how to stretch our budget, causing her to consider about buying insect repellent and only deciding to after your payday!"

"Yamato, don't criticise Taichi. Taichi, in order to support this family, he has worked hard, and he has even been oppressed by grandpa, so he can't find work in companies. He's working on a construction site, carrying heavy building materials, coming home with injuries… he's working so hard for this family, so of course I have to save and consider before…"

"Sorry… I didn't know. Mimi, you should have told me earlier."

"I chose this myself. It has nothing to do with you guys. However, Yamato's right. Mimi, you suffer a lot with me."

"Taichi, don't say that. I chose this willingly. I like this kind of steady life, as long as I'm with you. I just can't bear to see you suffer. When you talk like this, my heart aches more for you."

"This living room is smaller than our bathroom! It's smaller than what the rumours said!" Hikari exclaimed. Hikari and Takeru appeared Takeru carrying paper bags filled with items.

"You guys are admirable. Living in such a small apartment for so long…" Takeru said.

"Aren't the both of you too heartless? Only visiting us now." Taichi said.

"Please, do you think we spend our days at home relaxing?" Hikari said.

"If we could leave, we would be happily leaving." Takeru added.

"Well, at least the both of you brought us presents!" I exclaimed.

"They're not presents. Emp.'s evil. When you guys left, he froze our bank accounts too. He figured out that if they was a chance, we would give you guys money. So Takeru and I are broke like you guys."

"So what are these?" I asked.

"Yamato's shirts, shoes, cologne and stuff… it's all there." Takeru replied.

"All these are Yamato's?" Sora asked.

"Nope. Some of these are big brother's." Hikari replied. "It's just that Yamato is vainer."

"Yes. If he doesn't look perfect, he'll be angry." Takeru added.

"You guys actually understand me. Now, let me look at what you guys brought me."

"Guys, I feel so loved. To think that Yamato gets more stuff than me… it just makes me feel all fuzzy and warm inside." Taichi said, sarcastically. "Anyway, have you guys eaten yet?"

They didn't reply. "I'll go and cook! I can cook super fast now!" I said.

"I'll help you then." Sora said.

"Hikari, just catch up with Taichi, okay?" I said.

We went to the kitchen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Yamato, you got that super-picky Sora to become like that?" Hikari asked.

"No, I think that's Sora's real personality. She was just acting because of a plan with Emp., so she seemed hard to get along with." Yamato replied. "Anyway, we haven't seen each other for a long time. How are you guys?"

"We miss having dinner with you guys. We've been staring at each other at home. Oh, and Hikari can never beat me at basketball!"

"Well, you have been playing basketball for far longer than me!"

"Wait, so do you guys do anything else other than stare at each other?" I asked, feeling amused and yet protective of my little sister.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

I placed Emp's medicine and a cup of water on the table in front of him. "Emp., you haven't taken your blood pressure tablets yet."

"Wait a moment. What did the reports say?"

"Err, Master Yagami is working on a construction site at the moment. It's been a month, and he has a salary too. Miss Takuya seems to have learnt about that, but she hasn't stopped him. Furthermore, she has been doing the chores at home or looking at shop displays every day. Hence, I think that Master Yagami and Miss Takuya really want to start a new life. I think that they won't be much changes in the near future."

"What about Yamato and Sora?"

"Those two are still spending their time playing. Their lifestyles are not really different from when they were living here, except that Master Ishida is trying to set up a band, while Miss Takenouchi is spending more time on tennis, or going out with each other."

"That's almost the same as how I predicted it would be like. That Taichi, how long will you let my precious granddaughter suffer?"

"Emp., do you need me to contact Master Yagami's employers?"

"No need. Since he's willing to carry heavy building materials, what other jobs would he be unwilling to do? If you tell the construction company to dismiss him, he would go and get a job delivering gas or transporting sewage. Can you believe that?"

"Yes. Master Yagami is stubborn."

"That's why I chose him to be my successor."

"Then may I ask Emp., your next step in the plan is…"

"Attack them one by one."

_Phew. Thank goodness. I thought Emp. would ask me for my opinion._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
I'm sorry if Sora and Yamato are out-of-character here, but I had to have them as the weak ones, as they both didn't want to leave the Takuya family, they were both from rich families, and I didn't want both of them to be separated from each other.

To **inori **: Sorry, I don't have any long fanfictions in mind after this story, as I'll be pretty busy next year. ._.

THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! It means a lot! Keep reviewing, all of you! (:


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

I do not own Digimon.

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"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 32  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

I found Yamato sitting in a café, staring out the window. "Yamato, if you're unhappy, and can't live life happily here, come home with me. I'll ask my dad. You'll definitely be able to stay at my house."

"If you want to go home, go. Your family isn't unwilling to let you go home anyway."

"Stop telling me that, Yamato. I told you that I'll follow you no matter what."

"I really admit defeat to you."

Then Yamato looked at sometime, then froze. I followed the direction of his gaze. Head Manager Gennai was standing there.

We ended up at a restaurant. "The two of you must have suffered a lot."

"Head Manager Gennai, why did you look for us? What new instructions has Emp. given?" I asked.

"Master Ishida, I have come to look for you without Emp.'s knowledge."

"I don't believe you. You're a very loyal servant to Emp., you wouldn't do anything without Emp.'s knowledge."

"Master Ishida, according to the Britannica Encyclopedia's definition of a loyal servant is that a loyal servant is a person who will only do things that benefit their master."

"If you have something to say, just say it." Sora said.

"The fact is that the situation is at a stage in which Emp. can no longer retract his words. The four of you leaving the Takuya family has become a global news item. When you look at the situation, Emp. has already lost the contest. However, in my eyes, both sides have lost. Emp. lost his successor, and he can't see his granddaughter, the two of you must rely on pawning items to get by, Master Yagami has been reduced to having to work at a construction site, moving building supplies, relying on his own strength to get by. Seeing this makes me feel very upset. The great Master Yagami…"

"So, why did you look for us? What motive do you have for finding us?" Yamato asked.

"Master Ishida, the reason why I secretly came to find the both of you without Emp.'s knowledge is to ask you to come back to the Takuya family first, apologise to Emp., and willingly become his successor. Maybe then Emp. will calm down, and the situation will have a better outcome."

"However, will Yamato want to be the successor?" I asked.

"Of course not. If I return, it will be like betraying Tai, and I don't think Emp. will be pleased, because I won't marry his granddaughter, Mimi. Furthermore, I'm not his first choice for his successor. Why would you think that?"

"Yamato will definitely not marry Meems."

"I understand this logic, of course. However, Master Ishida, can you bear to watch Master Yagami carry heavy building materials around, depending on his strength to get by? If I say that both of you return to the Takuya family, and let Emp. regain his dignity, he might be able to forget his anger, and let Master Yagami find other jobs. This way, Master Yagami and Miss Takuya will have a shred of hope in their futures. It requires more than one step to solve this problem. Master Ishida, you're smart, you should understand the logic behind this."

"Yamato, Head Manager Gennai's plan is to take things slowly. It's quite logical. I feel bad whenever I think about Taichi working at the construction site."

"Miss Takenouchi is very smart. You understood such a complicated matter so quickly. Hence Master Ishida, head back to the Takuya family first, it'll help Master Yagami and Miss Takuya gain more space and opportunities. Also, Master Yagami will not have to work so hard only depending on his strength. Also, making Master Yagami do jobs like carrying building materials is equal to burying his talent and intelligence. I watched Master Yagami grow up, so watching him like this… I don't think I can bear it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I brought in the plates for Sora to wash.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

Yamato sat next to me on the sofa. "You look so tired. Have you ever thought about going back?"

"No." He rubbed his forehead.

"How much longer are you planning to work at the construction site for? You're this tired every day, and you're injured all over. You're stuck in a job with no sense of achievement, I don't believe that you don't have any other plans."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that you should reconsider your plans for life again."

"For example?"

"For example, returning to the Takuya family."

"If you can't take it anymore, just go back by yourself."

"So moving building materials is your dreams? Your way of being independent? Are you happy doing it? Have you ever thought about other's opinions? Have you ever thought of how Mimi feels?"

"You're thinking about yourself. Don't push the responsibility to Mimi and I. Do you have a dream? Have you worked hard before? Just because you don't want to be the successor, you come with us. Just because you can't stand the hardship with us, you think of a reason for me to go back. You don't have to help me fight my battles. Think about your own plans for your life." We stood up.

"Yagami Taichi, how could you say that? Yamato is thinking about your future. How can you…" Sora stood between Yamato and I.

"Don't say it anymore." Yamato said.

Sora turned towards him. "I don't care. He's going overboard. Yamato wants Mimi and you to pursue your dreams of independence in peace, so he considered returning to the Takuya family. If he returns, he could help Emp. be less angry and hence let you go. This way, you'll have better job opportunities. Yamato is returning because of you. It isn't for himself!"

"If you want to return, just return. You don't need my approval, but don't have to use me as an excuse. I was the one that made you leave in the first place."

"Fine." Yamato started to walk away, but Mimi stopped him.

"Taichi, Yamato, don't be so temperamental."

"I'm not! I'm just facing reality." I said.

Yamato left. Sora glared at me, before chasing after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"Yamato! We can think of something else! If you don't want to go back to the Takuya family, you can come home with me. If not, I can stay with you. We'll definitely think of something else."

"It's not something we can solve together. It's my own problem. Tai was right. I have never seriously thought about my future. I can't always use the excuse of not wanting to be the successor to escape."

"We're both young. It's just that we haven't found our own goals."

"The problem is Sora, I don't know what my goal is. I only know how to hide. I have been in the Takuya family from young. If any problems arose, Tai would always be the one at the front, fighting it. Now that Tai has left, and I chose to run after him, I still can't escape Emp.'s control… I just can't do it."

"If you really don't want to work for the Takuya family, you can work for my family. If you don't want that, we can wander together."

"Thank you for your kindness. However, if I really went to your family to work, others will look down on me, and I'll look down on myself as well."

"I'm sorry. I won't suggest you going back home with me again. You know I didn't mean that, right?" I nodded. "However, I believe that Ishida Yamato he hasn't found the person who knows how to admire him yet. Except me."

She blushed. I smiled. "Thank you. If I returned to the Takuya family, would you laugh at me?"

"I won't. I'll support you in whatever you do. What's so bad about making a mistake? Who doesn't make mistakes? Accepting that you're wrong and changing it is what's most important."

_You're actually willing to believe and support me, and stay with me unconditionally… Sora, you're really different from the women who used to surround me. I really want to use the rest of my life to properly cherish you._

I moved closer to her. I put my hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes. I bent down and kissed her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Sora's POV**

_Yamato, I really want to stay with you like how I am now. To be embraced by you, and kissed by you. I don't need anything else, sports, fashion design, because I have you._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Did I go too overboard?"

"I think Yamato knows the meaning behind your words. You were just trying to help him realise what he really wants to do. He won't be that mad."

"He just left like that. Even though I know that it's impossible for him to live a life like this with us, however, it still hurts."

"I'm still here. I'll be by your side." Mimi lied down on my shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

Yamato and Gennai entered the room.

"Emp., please give me another chance. I definitely won't waste my time on things that have nothing to do with the Takuya family anymore. Whether I'm the successor or not, I hope that I can work in the Takuya family's Company."

"It's good that you came back."

"Emp., there are some things that I probably shouldn't say, but I still want you to know. Tai is extremely determined and is working hard at making his own way in the world. I hope that Emp. can give him the opportunity, don't block his path anymore."

"Gennai, arrange for Yamato to attend to all the classes that the successor needs tomorrow."

"Yes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I walked with Taichi, our hands linked. He used his right hand to point at his left cheek. "Nope! The last lucky kiss that I gave you resulted in you working on a construction site for a month. I don't have the heart to do it again."

"Hey! It was your lucky kiss that got me a job. Otherwise, we would have nothing to eat for the month. Right?" He pointed to his left cheek again. "Hurry up."

I kissed his cheek.

We arrived at our destination. I adjusted the front of Taichi's business suit, then said, "Good luck." He looked at me, then entered the building.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

"Congratulations. You're hired." He held out his hand.

"Really?"

"No, I'm just kidding." He turned away then turned back. "Why would I joke about something like this?"

"It's nothing. It's just that I believe that you know who I am."

He nodded. "I'll tell you the truth, the first time I received the note from the Takuya family, I was angry. If Master Yagami wants to come to our Fujiama Law Company with limited stock to work - oh sorry, this is a one man company, so there are no stocks - I would hire him and give him a high salary. Oh sorry, there's no high salary, we still do monthly pay checks and the starting pay isn't that high. However, you're still hired."

"President Fujiama, thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn here. I'll do my best. However, aren't you worried about being enemies with the Takuya family Company?"

"I have to tell you something very important. President Fujiama is a name I made up for fun. You can call me Toshiaki. I've had this dream since I was little, to be the little shrimp fighting against the big shark. To be able to be enemies with the Takuya family, I think my Fujiama Law Company's status will rise too, and since I don't have a wife or kids, my parents don't depend on me, and this building is my brother's, only I depend on myself, so there's nothing to worry about."

I held out my hand. "Thank you, Toshiaki." He shook my hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Taichi came out of the building. He frowned at me. Then he smiled. "Just kidding!"

I pounced on him, hugging him tightly.

We went to the supermarket, shopping for groceries.

"To reward you, frugal princess, I, handsome worker, will cook for you today."

"Will it be edible? Maybe you should wear a hairnet, so that I won't find any strands of hair in my food from your big hair."

"Hey! You don't see me complaining about your food."

"That's because it's delicious, and you know it."

"Guilty."

(Later)

We had a candlelight dinner. He took the first bite of his cooking, then smiled. I took the first bite too. And then, he suddenly laughed loudly. "What are you laughing at?"

"I just remembered the first time you learned how to waltz."

"What's so funny about that? I was elegant and talented."

"And you scared the teacher away. How's that talented?"

"I haven't mentioned that you had no manners. I fell down, and you didn't even help me get up."

"Then can you give me a chance to change and apologise."

He stood up, and then offered me his hand. "Do I have the honour of dancing with the frugal, stubborn, and beautiful princess?"

"I'll think about it."

"Hey, this handsome worker rarely asks anyone to dance with him."

"Fine, I'll do this once." I smiled. He smiled. We danced.

_I have to let the whole world know what happiness is like. Happiness is like how we are now, two people who love each other living in an old house, eating cheap steak, drinking cheap wine, and dancing the waltz. This is happiness._

We looked into each other's eyes, then kissed each other tenderly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Awww. (:


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 33  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I spent the morning preparing bento lunches. Taichi was talking with his boss. He had spent the day looking for potential clients and advertising for the Fujiama Law Company (it was newly set up). I went up to Taichi, showing his the lunch boxes. Then, we spent lunch time together. Taichi kept taking food from my lunch box, then placing his into mine. I looked back at his boss. He was smiling at us, eating. I had prepared a lunch box for him too.

I went to buy ingredients for dishes (I really love cooking), then went back to Taichi's workplace. We walked out hand-in-hand after he was done with work, then stopped. Head Manager Gennai was in-front of us.

"Master Yagami, Miss Takuya."

"What is it, Head Manager Gennai?" Taichi asked.

"I came to see if the two of you were doing fine."

"We're doing fine. You can tell Emp. to stop sending people to watch us. Even I if Emp. uses all his power to stop us, we'll still keep going on."

We walked away, our arms around each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

Emp., Master Ishida, Master Takaishi and Miss Yagami were eating breakfast in the dining room.

"Miss Takuya makes bento lunches for Master Yagami, and brings it to his workplace, so she can eat with him. In the afternoon, Master Yagami continues working. Miss Takuya would then go to the supermarket, or look at shop displays. And then, Miss Takuya will go and meet Master Yagami after he's done with work."

"You said that they saw you yesterday? What was their reaction?"

"Master Yagami and Miss Takuya requested that you, Emp., stop sending people to watch them, and said that they'll definitely keep going."

"And?"

"They also said…"

"Spit it out!"

"They also said that even if you use all your power to stop them, they'll still keep going on no matter what."

"They have some guts." Emp. hit the table, clutched at his chest, then collapsed on the chair.

We rushed towards him. "Emp., what's wrong?"

We dialled for the in-house doctor and nurses. I begged the doctor, and then paced outside his room.

Master Ishida, Master Takaishi, and Miss Yagami were about to enter his room when I stopped them. "It's best if the three of you waited outside. Let the doctors examine him first."

"Shouldn't we tell Mimi and big brother immediately?" Miss Yagami asked.

"Yes. I'm calling them now." Master Ishida replied.

"No. Emp. woke up just now, and he requested not to let Master Yagami and Miss Takuya know."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

We sat on the sofa. Then, I dialled Tai's number. "Tai."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Where's grandpa?" I asked, as I ran into the room.

"In the emergency room." Yamato replied.

I was about to run in when I saw Head Manager Gennai and the doctor walk out.

"Head Manager Gennai, doctor, what happened to grandpa?"

"We think it was an acute myocardial infarction. We have it under control now. We will be monitoring him for the next 24 hours. However, I suggest that we perform a full examination on Emp. as soon as possible, especially on his arteries. We're worried that his arteries may be blocked. We can't delay it." The doctor replied.

"Then why didn't you send him to the hospital?" I asked.

"Emp. has his own ideas. We can't force him to go." Head Manager Gennai replied.

"I'll go in a tell him."

"Miss Takuya, let me go and ask Emp. if he'll see you, because he requested that Master Yagami and Miss Takuya to not know about this, lest the both of you get worried, and his current emotions aren't that stable yet."

"What? I'm his granddaughter, of course I'm going to be worried! Why do I need permission to see him?"

"No, Mimi. It might give Emp. a shock." Taichi said.

The doctor left, and Head Manager entered the room, then exited it. "The two of you, please come in."

I went in with Taichi, only to see grandpa lying on the bed, an oxygen mask on his face and a heart monitoring machine linked up to him.

I sat down on the floor next to his bed, taking his hand into mine, crying.

"Grandpa." I whispered.

"I'm alright, I'm alright… the two of you, hurry up and go back to work. I'm really alright… I'm perfectly fine."

"Even when you're in this condition, you're fussing over us going back to work."

"Go back…" grandpa said, then he fell asleep.

We walked out. "Miss Takuya, could I talk to you privately for a moment?" Head Manager Gennai asked.

(Later in the garden)

"Miss Takuya, I think we don't have much time, so I'll just say what I have to say. Emp.'s greatest wish is to see you get married. That's why Emp. was behaving so inconsiderately. He wants to ensure that you, his granddaughter, gets married to his chosen successor. He made this rule to prevent the Takuya family Company, built from scratch by Emp., from landing into outsiders' hands, and to protect his heir's rights. Emp. may not have told you this, but Miss Takuya, if you do not marry his chosen successor, the Takuya family Company's Board of Directors will take over the Takuya family Company. This way, the Takuya family Company that Emp. built from scratch will be given away to others."

"Why didn't grandpa tell me that?"

"Emp. doesn't want to put that kind of pressure on you guys. In fact, Emp. had been thinking about whether he should abandon further medical treatment. Miss Takuya, Emp. has always been thinking about your feelings. In fact, he feels stronger about not pressurising you two after he saw how Master Yagami and you have persisted in following your goals. So now, he's willingly giving up the Takuya family Company that he built up from scratch. He didn't want to make things difficult for the two of you. However, as a servant, even though Emp. has said repeatedly not to put pressure on the two of you, I still want you to know about this matter. I hope you give this a lot of thought."

_For my sake, grandpa gave up the Takuya family Company._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

We sat on the seats in the bar in the Takuya family mansion.

"I find it really hard to believe that Emp. could actually be considerate for others." Takeru said.

"I can't believe that he's willing to give up his Takuya family Company in order for Tai and Mimi to be together." Yamato said.

"Mimi, big brother, the both of you are free now." Hikari said.

I took Mimi's hand into mine. "Mimi, no matter what you choose, I'll support you."

"Taichi, follow me to get a few things. We'll come back later." Mimi said.

"Okay."

"Yamato, if there's any news about grandpa, tell us immediately." Taichi said.

"Okay." We left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"Mimi and big brother have matured a lot. Big brother's no longer as rash, and as stubborn." Hikari commented.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

(Later, back in the old house)

I was looking through some documents when Mimi came out, carrying a small handbag. "I'm going to take care of grandpa for awhile, and convince him to go for surgery. Remember to adjust your alarm clock before you sleep."

"Mimi, I'll be going to my office tomorrow office to get my things sorted out. After that, I'll return to the mansion too."

"Taichi, don't quit from your job, okay? After so much effort, you finally found a job which you're good at, your boss appreciates you, and you feel a sense of accomplishment for it, so please don't quit, okay? Promise me that you won't quit. It's an order."

I looked at her. "Okay. Mimi, don't worry. Emp. will be fine."

"However, if something goes wrong, all of grandpa's life regrets will be my fault."

"No. It's my fault. If I didn't disagree to becoming the successor, all this wouldn't have happened. Mimi, I'm going back with you. I'll tell Emp. that I…"

"Taichi, trust me. He's my grandpa. He won't take us back now. What he wants us to do, he'll make us do. That's what I'm sure of."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I held up a mug of water and his medicine. "Grandpa, eat your medicine, then drink up."

Grandpa turned his face away.

I walked out of the room, carrying the mug and the medicine, feeling worried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

Emp.'s heart had stopped beating. The doctors and nurses rushed to save him.

A doctor came out. "The thing we feared has happened. Emp. needs to go through surgery immediately for a chance of surviving."

"Send him to the emergency room right away!" Master Yagami said.

"However, Emp. said that he didn't want to go through surgery and to abandon further treatment."

Master Yagami was about to say something, when Mimi interrupted him. "I'll take responsibility! I'll take responsibility for everything! Just go!"

Emp. was rushed into the operating room at the hospital. We waited outside.

Later, a doctor and two nurses came out. "Since Emp. wasn't operated on immediately, we missed the time for the best surgery. The surgery can still be considered successful though. When he wakes up after the anaesthesia has worn off, we'll check his heart and lungs. However, because his brain lacked oxygen for awhile…"

"You mean that Emp. might never wake up?" Master Ishida asked.

"There were cases like this before. Of course, no two situations are the same, but there have been patients who recovered quickly.

"I'm sorry, that I have to tell the four of you here about this, under these circumstances. However, if I don't tell the four of you this, I fear that there may be more problems in the future."

"Just say it, Head Manager Gennai." Master Yagami said.

"Okay. What I'm about to say shouldn't be said by me, but I don't care, so, I would like the four of you to forgive me. If Emp. really doesn't wake up, or if he passes away, the Takuya family Company will be given to its Board of Directors, so now is a really critical moment. We have to do something if we want to preserve Emp.'s legacy that was forged through his life's struggles."

"As long as I'm here, I won't let grandpa's legacy fall into anyone else's hands."

"Miss Takuya, you aren't a male. You can't stop the Board of Directors from taking over."

"What kind of rule is that?"

"That's the reason why Yamato, Takeru and I have been undergoing the successor training since we were young. Hikari has undergone it, but it wasn't for her to be the successor, but rather, just to train her." Master Yagami said.

"Master Takaishi, you're still too young. Master Yagami, you are a choice for successor, you are qualified to be the successor. Master Ishida, you didn't pass the examination for the successor, so we aren't considering you. That and the fact that Miss Takuya is Emp.'s granddaughter, so her position as the heir is unquestionable. So now, the only solution we can think of is to…"

"Go back to the start. Let Tai and Mimi get married. That was what Emp. planned originally, and the best solution." Master Ishida said.

"I won't do it." Miss Takuya replied.

"Miss Takuya, the both of you have dated for so long, plus the both of you have already undergone a trial marriage, what problems do you still have?"

"When grandpa was still conscious, he wanted Taichi and I to be together, but he didn't want us to go against our own desires. Also, we can't make this kind of decision before grandpa's wakes up. I don't agree to it, I don't believe that there isn't another solution. Head Manager Gennai, this is my decision, I'll take responsibility for it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I looked through documents in grandpa's room, Head Manager Gennai beside me.

"What are these 'automatic inheritance', 'specified inheritance' and 'forfeited inheritance'? My head's spinning."

"Miss Takuya, I have brought pretty much everything that's relevant. If you have any problems, we could call the Takuya family lawyers to come tomorrow to see if there's anything they can do."

I nodded, pouting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"Mimi's really strange. Why isn't she agreeing to marry big brother?" Hikari asked.

"That's the difference between her and other women. The kind of drive she has… sometimes, even men can't match it. On the other hand, there's Tai. She's too innocent, and Tai's too stubborn." I replied.

"I wonder how Tai's doing. The girl he loves doesn't want to marry him, so his pride must be hurt." Takeru said.

"Tai isn't that easy to hurt. I wonder how things will turn out like, with those two." I said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
We're almost at the end of the story! :D


	34. Chapter Thirty Four

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 34  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I kicked the soccer ball. _I don't know if I should be happy or sad. How come you're so stubborn and determined? Thankfully, you aren't as stubborn as me, Big Hair. Mimi, trust me. I'll always be by your side._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I walked along the corridors. _I can't go and discuss this with Taichi and the others. Everybody's opinion will still be that if I marry Taichi, our problems will be solved. However, I still have time. I definitely won't give up. For grandpa and Taichi, I have to try harder._

I walked into my birth parents' room, and looked at their photograph. _Mom, dad, grandpa's sick. He's still in the hospital. Please watch over him, protect him, and give me the strength and wisdom to protect the Takuya family Company. Is forcing Taichi to give up his dreams the only way of working all these out? Dad, if it was you, what would you do? Why can't it be me? Can't I be the heir and the successor?_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I knocked on Mimi's door. No answer. "Where did she go? Even her phone isn't on."

"Taichi!" Mimi ran towards me, hugging me.

"What happened? What made you so happy?"

"Let me ask you, I'm the Takuya family's legal heir, right?"

I nodded.

"Then why do I have to marry Emp.'s successor?"

"That's because the Takuya family Company's Board of Directors believe that women don't have the ability to run the Takuya family Company."

"Then, what if she proves that she has the ability? I'm going to take the successor qualification test! I mean, who says that I can't? I'm the heir, and if the heir is the successor too, then the problem is solved!" She clapped her hands.

I smirked.

"You think it's a bad idea?"

"I think that I'm a pretty lucky man, to be able to have such a smart and considerate princess like you. I think you must be the only heir who's values haven't been corrupted by wealth and whom dares to argue with Emp., you're worthy of your crest. My princess."

"And you'll be my big-haired prince." She pulled me with her, saying, "Let's go and see Head Manager Gennai, now!"

Then she stopped. "Taichi, what were you looking for me for?"

I summoned up my courage. "I wanted to tell you that even if I, your big-haired prince have to be the successor, as long as I marry my princess, I would take it. There would be no point for me if my princess wasn't waiting for me at home. The only reason that I would be willing to suffer is that I'll be able spend my life and forever with my princess. So, even if I was a happy worker, or the successor, I wouldn't care."

"What the big-haired prince just said to his princess… the princess will tell it to their children, then to their grandchildren, then get them to pass it down to their children…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

"To be able to think of a solution that solves the problems for both sides... Miss Takuya, you're worthy of being Emp.'s granddaughter. If Emp. was conscious now, he would be able to make that decision, and we wouldn't have to go to the Takuya family Company's Board of Directors. However, Emp. is still unconscious, so Miss Takuya, you have to pass the Takuya family Company's Board of Directors' successor qualification test in order to change their rules and protect the Takuya family's stock in the Takuya family Company."

"Is the test hard?" I looked at Taichi, Yamato and Head Manager Gennai. "Judging from your expressions, it's hard, isn't it? However, it doesn't matter. I have a lot of confidence in myself."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

Sora, Takeru, Hikari and I were sitting in the garden, discussing.

"How will Mimi pass the oral part of the test? Taichi has been trained to be the successor since he was ten years old, and he only passed the second time he took it. And Mimi hasn't even graduated from university yet." Takeru said.

"I think Meems' really bold. She doesn't know a thing about being the successor, but she thought of this. I guess its part of her personality." Sora said.

"I really admire Mimi for being able to take steps like that even when the future is uncertain. That's courage. It seems as if the two of them have influenced each other a lot. Mimi's braver, while Taichi is showing his emotions more rather than always hiding his feelings in the past, caring about others but not himself, the leader. Anyway, we have to figure out how to help Mimi with the oral test. The sooner the better, who knows how Emp.'s condition will be like." I said.

"Big brother's good at history, social studies and the business stuff, and he has the most experience. He can teach Mimi that part." Hikari said.

"Head Manager Gennai can help Mimi with the processes of the company, and Yamato, you can help with the international finance part." Takeru said.

"I'll help with the psychology part. They test that sometimes. What about you, Takeru?" Hikari said.

"I'll help with the arts and literature." Takeru said.

"I can help Mimi with the sciences, if they teach that." Sora added.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"Emp. was a little restless and confused when he woke up, probably because he was uncomfortable with the tubes that were attached to his body, so he wanted to take them off. Hence, we had to use some anaesthesia on him to knock him out temporarily. His heart and lungs are not stable, so we had to use some external equipment to help him."

I entered the room, wearing a white visiting gown, rubber gloves and mask. I had to be disinfected before entering. I went towards grandpa's bed, and held his hand.

"Grandpa, I've decided to take the Takuya family Company's successor qualification test. The oral part is coming soon. I hope that I can protect your life's work. I don't know how you'll respond when you hear this. I hope that you'll be so angry that you'll jump on the bed and scold me. I really wish that I could hear your resounding voice yelling at me. You have to do your best, and get better soon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Taichi, Sora, Yamato, Takeru, Hikari, Head Manager Gennai and I walked towards the room in which we would be preparing for the oral part of the successor qualification test. I could still hear Head Manager Gennai's earlier words to me playing in my head. 'On that day, during the oral part of the successor qualification test, I will be by your side. There will be 7 or 8 well-educated, well-travelled extremely knowledgeable governors turning up.'

We sat down in the room. It was like a meeting room, with a large oval table surrounded by chairs, with a large plush chair at the head of it, a projector and a screen.

Head Manager Gennai stood up and pointed to the different things on screen. "The subjects tested in the test vary. They could range from astronomy, geography, politics, economics, agriculture, biology, social studies, current affairs, and general knowledge, it's like a marathon-styled contest of knowledge. It can last for a very long time, or for a very short time. They are simply judging the successor candidate's ability and knowledge."

"What kind of questions will be in the test?" I asked.

"For example, how does the World Stock Market and the U.S. Stock Market's index affect the shares of the Takuya family Company?" Head Manager Gennai replied.

"What?"

"And approximately how much would one need to take over the Kanbara Flim Enterprises and how long would it take to earn back this amount of money and start to earn money?" Takeru said.

"According to the Psychology guru, Alfred Adler, who wrote 'The General System of Individual Psychology, Individual Psychology's basic principle is…"

I could already imagine old men asking me questions like 'Why is it that Uranus brings in its orbiting moons and rotates on its axis?', 'Describe the situation between Asia's terrorist developments and the world's anti-terrorist developments.', 'Currently, which area of the world is most seriously affected by the rising sea levels?', 'Describe the Four Asian Tigers' movements within the ranks of world economy.', 'How does the fall of the U.S. Dollar's value affect Brazil's agriculture plans?', 'What is your opinion on how the country is dealing with SARS?', and so on. And then, I could imagine myself being surrounded by these old men, asking me if I knew the answer.

Then, I saw a hand in-front of me. It was Head Manager Gennai. Then, Sor stood up. "Concentrate, Meems! Nightmare training officially begins now!"

I listened to lectures from Head Manager Gennai, Hikari, Takeru, Yamato and Sora (they high-fived each other when it was Sora's turn to teach and Yamato's turn to leave).

I had one more lecture to go through. Taichi's.

"Mimi, are you alright? It's my turn to teach you now."

"Oh."

"It's alright. Let's not have the lesson today. You look like you had enough of lessons anyway."

"No. I was too stupid. I overestimated myself."

Taichi bent down, then hugged me. "Mimi, if you want to give up now, I can give up my ambition, I don't mind, as long as we get married."

"It's nothing. I was just too hasty."

"I know, but I don't want to see you suffering so much. Even Yamato and the others think so too. It really hurts us to see you like this."

I stood up. "Ha ha ha! I'm the princess who won't let troubles drag me down! I'm best at coping with suffering. The worse it is, the more energy I have! Come on, teacher prince, don't be so lazy."

He smiled, stood up, and then cleared his throat. "Listen carefully now, I talk very quickly."

And so, over the days, I had more lectures, some while walking to another destination, some on the sofa in the main hall. When I didn't have lectures or when I wasn't visiting grandpa, who was still unconscious, I would be walking around, reading about a subject. Sor and I had become even greater friends, and we proclaimed that we were best friends.

I sat beside grandpa's hospital bed, holding his hand, whispering, "Grandpa, I'm going to be tested tomorrow. I'm really nervous. You have to cheer for me, and I'll continue cheering for you too, so you have to hurry and get better and get up soon."

(A/N : Emp.'s other hand moved a little, but Mimi didn't notice)

(The next day)

The oral part of the successor qualification test started.

"Miss Takuya, please tell us about the treaty for free trade between South Korea and the United States and how it'll affect the Takuya family Company."

_Taichi said it before and he said that they would probably ask this question. Calm down, Mimi._

"Err, concerning the Tokyo branch of the Takuya family Company's… exports, the influence… the influence is large. It influences… it influences…" _Darn it, I can't remember! What will it influence? _"Err… err… we can work with more… err, plan it so that we can receive the maximum benefits by working with American companies."

One of them was shaking his head, the others looking at each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

Sora kept pacing worried. I walked up to her, and put my arm around her.

"What's taking them so long?" She asked.

"We're all worried. Just sit down, okay?" I replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"I… The new market that I feel has the most potential is… is…" Head Manager Gennai started tugging at the curtains in the room. "China! Err…"

Head Manager Gennai pretended to be holding something, then kicked it, his shoe flying off in the process. He was dancing. "Brazil…"

I looked at Head Manager Gennai. "Russia, Thailand."

Now he was belly dancing. "Indonesia, no, that's not it, India!"

The old men looked appalled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"You're finally finished with work!" Hikari said, as Tai came running in. "Mimi isn't out yet. It's been 12 hours, and they haven't stopped yet."

Then Mimi and Head Manager Gennai walked down the stairs, looking dejected.

"How was it?" Tai asked, rushing towards them. Mimi shook her head.

"Meems, it's alright. Taichi only passed on his second time taking the test. You'll probably pass. Don't worry." Sora said.

"You're waiting to see if they pass you or not now, right?" Taichi said.

"Mimi, you'll probably pass, don't be sad." Takeru added.

"We probably have to wait for a miracle before I can pass."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

I opened my eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The story's going to end soon! :D


	35. Chapter Thirty Five

I do not own Digimon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech  
_Sincerity & Courage _– Thoughts  
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 35  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Head Manager Gennai and I were back in the room.

"Those who are in approval of Miss Takuya becoming the successor, please raise your hand."

They looked at each other. None of them raised their hands. I stood up, ready to leave.

"I feel that this little girl's courage is worth encouraging. Sometimes, a company's leader only needs this kind of innocent impulsiveness." One of the old men said.

"Yes, courage should be praised, but as a company's leader, you can't just rely on this blind courage." The old man opposite him said.

"We appreciate everyone's effort in coming today. Then, Miss Takuya, today we'll just…" The phone on the table started ringing. "Please excuse me. I must take this phone call, because this is Emp.'s exclusive line."

He picked up the phone. "Hello?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I waited impatiently for them to come out. Then, I saw the governors walk down the stairs. I ran past them, towards the room. Once in the room, Head Manager Gennai told us what happened.

"A miracle has happened? Really?" Sora exclaimed.

"Yes, it really is a miracle. Emp.'s awake, and his condition is stable, so he has been transferred to a different patient unit. Emp. just called. He used his power as the current CEO of the Takuya family Company to select Miss Takuya as his successor. The board has unanimously agreed too!" Head Manager Gennai said.

There were cheering, hugging and high-fiving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"My precious granddaughter, challenging the Takuya family Company's Board of Directors… how could I not have woken up to support and cheer my treasure on?"

"Grandpa, you have to take good care of your body from now on. The doctor warned you to be careful of what you eat and drink. Less fat, less sugar and more exercise. Understood?"

"Do you guys see that? She has already become so bossy! Ordering her grandfather around." Grandpa chuckled.

"Yes, Emp., Mimi has the bossiness of a modern woman, but she has poor reasoning and memory." Takeru said. I hit him on the arm.

"Oh, and Emp., since Mimi's the successor, then Takeru and I can take a break, right?" Hikari asked.

"If you want to take a break, you have to ask Mimi. From now on, all of you will be under her control." Emp. replied.

"All of you were so mean to me during your lectures…" They looked at each other, and Taichi ran a hand through his hair.

After that day, I had more successor training to go through, this time by tutors. I visited grandpa at the hospital too.

Then, grandpa got discharged. As he entered the mansion, the servants and bodyguards greeted him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

I was about to dig into my delicious whole roast chicken when it suddenly got pulled away and replaced with a bowl of salad. I looked up to see my granddaughter smiling at me. I grudgingly ate the bowl of salad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I was watching Taichi talk to his boss when I decided to make a phone call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV  
**  
Emp. was eating a piece of tiramisu cake when my phone rang. I answered it.

"Hello, Head Manager Gennai?" My phone was on loudspeaker, it was on a video call. "Has grandpa exercised yet?"

"Has grandpa exercised yet?" I looked at Emp., Emp. looked at me. "Yes! Don't worry. Your grandpa has been exercising, he hasn't been eating."

"Let me see."

"Huh? You said that you wanted to see?" Emp. hastily put down his plate. "I'm telling you that your grandpa hasn't been eating anything, he has been moving all along."

Emp. started jogging on the spot. "He's been keeping his lifestyle really healthy. Have a look."

I pointed my phone towards Emp., saying, "You see? He's been exercising."

I pointed the phone back at me. Emp. sat down, panting. "Don't worry about your grandpa. I'll keep an eye on him."

I hung up. "Emp., since you were released from the hospital, it seems as if you've completely changed."

"When a person stares death in the face, they realise that they didn't know what they were doing before. What's more important than life? Right?"

"Right. I know that. I meant that the way you do things has changed. In the past, you were very domineering, the richest person in Asia. How come you're now the average old grandfather who's afraid of his granddaughter?"

He chuckled. "What's so bad about being afraid of your own granddaughter? I like the feeling of someone taking care of me. So what if I'm the richest person in Asia? You can't buy true feelings and sincerity with money. As for being average… wait, average? Did you say that I was average?"

"Did I say that?"

"Why don't you have a near death experience and see how it's like? You die and come back again, and tell me what you mean by average. Wouldn't you be afraid of everything, like everyone else?"

"Okay, don't get angry. Here, be nice. Have some cake, and calm down, okay?"

"Really, what do you mean by 'average'…"

"Don't be angry." I handed him the plate with the cake and a fork.

"Do I really have to eat this piece?"

"You didn't finish it just now, so eat it."

"Can I have another one?"

"No, that would be a waste. Wait, didn't you say that you liked having someone taking care of you? So I'm taking care of you now, so finish the cake. Once you're done, go and wash the plate."

"I have to wash the plate too?"

"You aren't going to wash it? Okay, I'm going to call Miss Takuya then." I reached into my pocket for my phone.

"No, no!" He started eating his cake.

"Are you going to wash the plate?"

"No, it's not that…"

He showed me the cake. "Is there a problem?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I walked home with Taichi from his workplace.

(Later, back at the mansion)

We peeked out from behind the corner. Then, we were almost past grandpa's room when Head Manager Gennai walked out. Taichi grabbed him, then covered his mouth with his hand he was struggling. I turned to Taichi to show him that it was a good move, and to cheer him on, but when I turned back, I was facing grandpa.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

Head Manager Gennai, strangely strong for his age, was struggling. I was wrestling him when I saw Emp., so I let go of him sheepishly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I smiled sweetly at grandpa.

"If you want to go on a date, then go. However, you didn't have to come back first to check if I was secretly eating anything. Right now, I really feel like sending you off to America for a 3-years CEO training course. You are even more of a nag than your grandmother, and definitely more formidable."

"Are you trying to get rid of me? It isn't that easy. Even if I went to America, there's still Taichi, Yamato and Sora." I looked at Taichi. He showed me a peace sign, grinning cockily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

Head Manager Gennai and I looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Then, we looked back at the two of them.

"They're not as bad as you. Taichi, hurry up and bring her out! Hurry!" Head Manager Gennai shoved me from behind. "Go!"

I held out my hand for Mimi. She took it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Gennai's POV**

As Master Yagami and Miss Takuya walked away, Emp. was scolding them wordlessly. They looked back, and he smiled at them innocently. They continued walking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

"Yamato! I found out that the best way to scare Emp. is to announce that Mimi's coming!" Taichi told me excitedly.

"Mimi's getting even more business woman like, that Emp. can't stand her. I think if Mimi goes to that 3-years CEO training course in America, she'll finish it in 1-year, because everyone at the U.S. branch will run away or become her slaves." Hikari said.

"You make me sound like a demon." Mimi said, pouting.

"Meems, you'll be in America for 3 years. Aren't you afraid that Taichi will fall for someone else?" Sora asked.

"I think we should be worrying about Mimi. She's the beautiful Asian princess who's richer than the whole country, so she'll definitely be pursued by those American men." Hikari said.

Taichi smirked, and then he walked over to where Mimi was sitting, their noses touching.

"Guys, no public displays of affection, please." I teased.

"We want you to be uncomfortable and show that we won't have change of heart about each other." Tai replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I walked with Taichi down the corridor. I was about to send him off for work. I stopped, and he stopped walking too. I adjusted his tie. "Remember to drink a lot of milk during breakfast, not just coffee. That's bad for your stomach. Also, don't eat your lunch only at 4 or 5 o' clock in the afternoon, it's also bad for your stomach."

He laughed. "You sound like my mom. Except that her cooking skills are worse. A lot worse. However, I do like you treating me like this, princess. I know you're worried about me, but when you go to America alone, you only have yourself to rely on. If you have problems with English, don't worry about it, just learn it slowly. Also, you're already so skinny, so you better eat at least three meals a day, understood?"

"Okay, okay. I get it. If you keep going on, I won't want to go anymore. I just want to stay with you in our old house and cook for you."

"Mimi, please don't leave. 3 years is a really long time."

"It's a little too late to say this, I…"

"I couldn't not say it anymore. Never mind. Being separated for 3 years is the cost for us to be together forever. It's worth it."

We kissed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

Grandpa, Head Manager Gennai, Sora, Yamato, Takeru, Hikari and I were in the old house. "Dinner's ready!" Sora and I called.

"Where's Taichi?" Grandpa asked.

"Oh, he said that he has a very important deal tomorrow, and a few things he needs to tidy up before that, so when he's done, he'll come back here. Let's just eat."

"How big a deal? With how big a company? My granddaughter is leaving the country tomorrow for 3 years, and he's working over time tonight?"

"This is the first big deal that he's going to make, it's very important. That boss is also something, what's his last name, its Mori, isn't it? That's right, Mori. I'm going to buy his company from him." Head Manager Gennai tried to interrupt. "What? I'm talking here. He's trying to one-up me, you see? Why is Taichi in that kind of company? It doesn't have a good future."

"Grandpa, don't be like this. If you continue being like this, I'll go to America and have a kid with some random person."

"You! You wouldn't dare, you love Taichi too much. Don't say things like that, okay? Let's get it straight that Taichi is the only person who meets my standards, understand?"

"Then you have to promise me that you let Taichi do what he wants to do. You can't interfere. Okay?"

"Fine. I was just being random. Don't worry, I won't go to his company and cause trouble. Okay? I'm hungry, let's eat."

I guided grandpa to his seat in the kitchen. Sor was standing there.

"There's meat! I'm so moved! I want to call a press conference now to say that I can finally eat meat again!"

"Miss Takuya, is this a reward to Emp. for eating so healthily for the past few days?" Head Manager Gennai asked.

"Of course not." I lifted up the plate of meat. "I can't let him off his diet even for a day. When I'm overseas, this responsibility will be given to Sor."

"See, Emp.? Meems says that I'm in charge. So if you misbehave, I'll call Meems in America and tell her."

"I'm still your elder. Can't you at least cook something that will make me happy for once? I'm not a cow, but after the surgery, all I've eaten is grass (A/N : vegetables)! That's not reasonable!"

"Too bad. Who told you to be so overbearing in the past and you wouldn't let anyone control you? However now…" I looked at Sor, and we said together, "Eat up!"

(Later)

Everybody had left, but Taichi wasn't back yet. I looked out of the window, then I decided to call him.

"Mimi, I'm sorry. I'm not done with writing the contract yet. I just realised that it's already 11 o' clock in the night." 

"It's alright."

"Have Emp. and the others left?"

"Yes. They said that they'll pick me up and send me to the airport tomorrow morning."

"Sorry for making you stay at home alone. You won't be afraid, will you?"

"Of course not."

"Do you want me to go home and see you now, then return later to finish up?"

"No. Just quickly get it done, okay? Tomorrow's very important, so make sure you don't mess it up. If you have the time, then use the table to take a nap."

"Mimi, sorry."

"It's alright. You'll be sending me off at the airport tomorrow, right? I'm definitely seeing you before I leave. I'll feel at ease then."

"I definitely will."

"Now, your princess is going to give you a lucky kiss! Mwah! Tomorrow will definitely go smoothly."

I heard him kiss me back through the phone. "Okay. Bye, night."

"Bye bye, night."

(The next morning)

"Why isn't big brother here yet?" Hikari asked, sounding annoyed. We were at the airport.

"I'll call again and check if Tai has left yet." Yamato said.

"It's fine. He's probably signing the deal with the client now, once he's done, he'll hurry here."

"Gennai, find out who he's signing the deal with." Grandpa said.

"Grandpa, there's still some time, I'll go and check-in first. You stay here and rest."

"Okay." Grandpa sighed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

I was waiting impatiently outside for the client and my boss to finish signing the deal between the two Law Companies. Finally, they came out. I looked at the document the client was holding. It was signed and sealed.

"Thank you." I said.

"Toshiaki, this member of your team is really responsible and reliable."

"Of course. If we didn't have him, we probably wouldn't have been able to make this deal."

"If Toshiaki ever gives you a hard time, or his Company doesn't pay you enough, don't worry, come and work for me. I'll double your salary."

"Are you trying to poach him already? Isn't that a bit too aggressive?"

"I'm sorry, I have something urgent to do. I'll excuse myself. Thank you." I took the elevator, and then checked my watch. I ran to my car, then drove off to the airport.

_Mimi, wait for me._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

"We're running out of time. Where is big brother?" Hikari asked.

"Meems, maybe you should take the next flight." Sor said.

"No, her luggage's already checked in, they won't let her change flights." Yamato said.

Sor walked to my side. "Meems, why didn't you take Emp.'s private jet?"

"Miss Takuya is worried that the people there would treat her differently, so she insisted on being treated like how a normal person would be treated, by taking an economy class flight." Head Manager Gennai replied.

"Travellers taking Flight 102 to Los Angeles, please go to Gate 4 for boarding."

"It's already boarding time, what are we going to do?" Takeru asked.

"We're going to let the aeroplane wait. My granddaughter is leaving the country and won't see her boyfriend for 3 years, it's nothing for a plane to wait for them. Make a call to their chairman!"

"Yes." Head Manager Gennai said, taking his phone out.

"Grandpa, don't make a big deal out of this, alright?"

"This is a matter of the heart. Grandpa has been young before, and I've been in love too. How can you just leave like this?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Taichi's POV**

_Mimi, wait for me._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

I hugged grandpa.

"I can't stand you leaving for so long." Grandpa said.

"You can see me at anytime. Remember to take care of yourself. Make sure you eat healthily."

He nodded, patting me on the back.

I let go of grandpa. "Head Manager Gennai, take good care of grandpa."

"Of course." He handed me my handbag, passport, and plane tickets. I started to walk towards the doors to the 'Departures' area.

"Mimi!" I turned. Taichi was standing there. He ran towards me, then stopped in-front of me.

"I'm sorry." Then, he got down on his knee, took a small, square box from his pocket, and then opened it and held it out to me. It was a beautiful diamond ring. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to clinch the deal. You changed me, you gave me the courage and opportunity to follow my dreams. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" I wrapped my arms around his neck and we kissed each other passionately, yet tenderly at the same time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Yamato's POV**

I held Sora closer to me. I looked at Takeru, and saw that he had done the same thing with Hikari.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Emp.'s POV**

"Kiss longer. Who cares about the aeroplane? Gennai, get my private jet ready."

"Yes, of course!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
**Mimi's POV**

(3 years later)

I married Taichi. Sora married Yamato. Hikari and Takeru wanted to marry each other (they got engaged), but Taichi had begged Hikari (and warned Takeru, especially after he discovered that they were secretly dating behind his back) that they were too young, so they had to wait for another year. He's too overprotective of Hikari, sometimes. So now, we're preparing for Hikari and Takeru's wedding, one year in advance, much to Taichi's chagrin. Taichi got his dream of becoming a lawyer, Sora became a fashion designer, and Yamato just set up a band, and he's considering the idea of being an astronaut, Takeru's planning on becoming an author, Hikari wants to become a kindergarten teacher, and is best friends with Yolei – she wants to be a housewife - who met Ken – he wants to be a private investigator - two and a half years ago, and is currently his fiancée. As for me, I'm the CEO of the Takuya family Company, and at the same time, I have my own cooking show that's broadcasted on television once every week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
THE END!

This chapter was fun to write! This story is based on a Taiwanese Drama show, Romantic Princess (There's English subtitles). The last part in which Taichi proposes to Mimi is made up by me, and the 3 years later thing (it wasn't in the show). I probably won't be writing any more fanfiction stories (maybe one-shots), for about a year or so, I think (I'll be really busy next year), but I'll try to reply to reviews or questions that you may have.

Thank you **Evil-Chibi-Tiffy**, for supporting me from the start of this story, and encouraging me to continue it (feel free to ask me any questions you may have), and my readers like **unspokenfeeling**, **krystalraven girl**, **inori**, and the rest for reading and reviewing.

Thank you! (:


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